ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aquatic Environment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work has been carried out (a) by and (b) on behalf of her Department to establish the background levels of fluoxetine in the aquatic environment.

Ben Bradshaw: During 2002–03 the Environment Agency carried out a desk based ranking exercise on the 500 pharmaceuticals most commonly used in England and Wales in order to prioritise those of environmental significance. This exercise included fluoxetine, more commonly known under the trade name Prozac. A short, targeted monitoring programme was then set up for 12 pharmaceuticals. Fluoxetine was not included because no analytical method suitable for use on environmental samples existed and development of one would be difficult.
	The top ranked antidepressant was lofepramine and this was included in the monitoring survey. Lofepramine was not detected in any of the five sewage works effluents or receiving watercourses monitored. However, it does not necessarily follow that the same would be true for fluoxetine.
	The Environment Agency have developed a Position Statement on Pharmaceuticals—which can be found on the agency's website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk (search-pharmaceuticals). This elaborates further on the work done and includes a recommendation to the pharmaceutical industry to do more on the development of analytical methods for environmental monitoring. I am pleased that the Environment Agency is in discussion with the industry on the development of a work programme to cover the recommendations to industry listed in the Position Statement.

Fisheries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to preserve fish stocks in UK waters.

Ben Bradshaw: There are a range of policies in European Union and UK legislation to protect fish stocks. The Government's response to the "net benefits" report which made a wide-ranging series of recommendations to secure sustainable fisheries in the waters around the UK will be published on 28 June 2005.

Fisheries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been prosecuted for fishing without a licence in London in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency administers and collects the rod licence fee for England and Wales. Due to the constraints of their databases and the historic data recorded we cannot answer the specific questions, and have provided figures for the Thames region.
	The Fisheries Offence Processing System (FOPS) database has only been live since the year 2000. Data prior to this date, for prosecutions was sourced from regional legal Departments.
	
		Historic data sourced from the Environment Agency's regional legal Departments for all rod and line related offences prosecuted
		
			  Successful prosecutions in the Thames region 
		
		
			 1997–98 722 
			 1998–99 830 
			 1999–2000 883 
		
	
	Source:
	The Environment Agency
	
		Recent data sourced from the FOPS database for rod and line licence offences—fishing without a licence
		
			  Successful prosecutions in the Thames region 
		
		
			 2000–01 764 
			 2001–02 851 
			 2002–03 604 
			 2003–04 722 
			 2004–05 805 
		
	
	Source:
	The Environment Agency

Fisheries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was collected in fines from people fishing without a licence in London in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency administers and collects the rod licence fee for England and Wales. Due to the constraints of their databases and the historic data recorded we cannot answer the specific questions, and have provided figures for the Thames region.
	The fisheries offence processing system (FOPS) database has only been live since the year 2000. Data prior to this date, for prosecutions was sourced from regional legal departments.
	Historic data sourced from regional legal departments for all rod and line related offences prosecuted.
	
		
			  Fines awarded by the court in Thames region (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 30,200 
			 1998–99 37,936 
			 1999–2000 42,517 
		
	
	Source:
	The Environment Agency
	Recent data sourced from the FOPS database for rod and line licence offences—fishing without a licence.
	
		
			  Fines awarded by the court in Thames region (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 40,237 
			 2001–02 46,182 
			 2002–03 34,076 
			 2003–04 42,133 
			 2004–05 49,755 
		
	
	Source:
	The Environment Agency

Fisheries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fishing licences have been issued in London in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency (EA) administers and collects the rod licence fee for England and Wales. Due to the constraints of their databases and the historic data recorded we cannot answer the specific questions, and have provided the figures for the Thames region.
	The rod licensing administration database (RAD) database has only been live since the year 2000. The EA cannot source information for rod licence sales prior to this date.
	Data sourced from the RAD for rod licence sales.
	
		
			  Rod licence sales in the Thames region (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 175,954 
			 2001–02 187,249 
			 2002–03 199,545 
			 2003–04 210,610 
			 2004–05 204,194 
		
	
	Source:
	The Environment Agency

Fisheries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to tackle the poaching of fish.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2003–04, the Environment Agency carried out a review of enforcement with respect to the more serious fisheries offences (those excluding the more straightforward acts associated with angling without a licence). It also spent £3.2 million on enforcement against serious fisheries offences.
	In 2004 the Environment Agency issued 350 warrants to officers to enforce fisheries laws as per the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, which provides that an officer warranted by the Environment Agency as a water bailiff holds the powers and duties of a police constable.
	The Environment Agency has established good relationships with police forces, having signed a memorandum of understanding with the Association of Chief Police Officers. This covers such matters as the sharing of intelligence, access to databases and mutual working arrangements. Contacts are also well established with the relevant Sea Fisheries Committee and, as locally appropriate, with the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate, HM Customs and Excise and/or the Department of Defence. Arrangements include cross-warranting of officers, sharing of equipment, exchange of intelligence and collaborative operations.

Flood Zone Maps

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) discussions she has had with and (b) representations she has had from local authorities on the new Environment Agency maps of zones susceptible to flooding; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Improved flood risk maps were published by the Environment Agency in October 2004 as part of a five-year programme of development and refinement.
	Flood risk mapping is an important part of the our public awareness strategy, to ensure that flood risk is better understood by all concerned including people living and working in the floodplains and those responsible for development control and emergency planning.
	We recently sought the views of a wide range of stakeholders on issues relating to flood and coastal erosion risk management as part of our "Making Space for Water" consultation. Local authorities responded on a wide range of issues including flood risk mapping. In general recent improvements to the flood risk maps were welcomed and suggestions were made on how they could be improved further. These views will be considered as part of the ongoing "Making Space for Water" programme. The responses are summarised on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/waterspace/index.htm.

Galapagos Islands

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to help maintain biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands.

Jim Knight: The UK is currently involved in a number of projects aimed at preserving the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands. Since 1993 the British Government have approved a total of £1,087,561 in funding for 24 separate environmental projects. These include four current projects under my Department's Darwin Initiative, which funds biodiversity projects in developing countries using UK expertise in partnership with local organisations.
	British embassy representatives in Ecuador also take part in regular Galapagos round table meetings to discuss issues relating to the environmental management of the islands. These are attended by major Galapagos donors and local government officials. The embassy also maintains close contact with the new British Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Pest Damage

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue best practice guidelines to local authorities on their duty under S2(1)(a) of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 with reference to (a) the (i) nature and (ii) frequency of inspections required by the Act and (b) the training and qualifications of inspectors; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is for local authorities to decide on the most appropriate pest control programme in their own area, while having regard to their duties under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949. Therefore Defra has no plans to issue best practice guidelines to local authorities on their duty under S2(1)(a) of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.

Radioactive Waste Management

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the responsibilities of (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, (b) Nirex and (c) nuclear power generators for identifying long-term options for dealing with (i) high level and (ii) intermediate level radioactive material.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 20 June 2005
	The independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has been set up under the "Managing Radioactive Waste Safely" programme to oversee a review of options for managing the UK's higher activity radioactive waste, and to recommend the option, or combination of options, that can provide a long-term solution, providing protection for people and the environment. CoRWM is due to deliver its recommendations by July 2006. UK Government and the devolved administrations will then decide policy and its means of delivery in light of CoRWM's recommendations. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Nirex and the nuclear power generators are all free, along with others, to input their views and supporting material to the CoRWM option assessment process.
	The role of the NDA is set out in the Energy Act 2004. It's purpose is to oversee and manage the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's civil public sector nuclear legacy. Nirex's mission is
	"in support of Government policy, develop and advise on safe, environmentally sound and publicly acceptable options for the long-term management of radioactive materials in the UK".
	The owners of radioactive waste are obliged to make suitable arrangements for the management of their waste, according to Government policy and regulatory requirements.

River Thames (Pollution)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many meetings officials from her Department have attended with the Environment Agency, Thames Water and the Greater London Authority since June 2004 to discuss the levels of raw sewage in the River Thames;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the level of pollution in the River Thames; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  how much raw sewage was discharged into the River Thames in each month since June 2004;
	(4)  whether the condition of water in the Thames breaches the European Union Urban Waste Water Directive;
	(5)  what assessment she has made of the need for an interceptor tunnel in the River Thames; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The objective of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of waste water discharges. The directive does not however set specific standards for the condition of inland and coastal waters into which waste water is discharged. Rather, it includes requirements to put in place sewage collecting systems, and sets standards for the treatment of sewage at sewage treatment works. Treatment standards and deadlines are set according to the size of the population served and the sensitivity of waters receiving the discharges.
	The sewage collection system serving London is a combined system which collects both domestic and industrial waste water, and rainwater run-off. The directive acknowledges that it is not possible in practice to construct combined collecting systems and treatment plants to deal with all waste water during situations such as unusually heavy rainfall. Consequently the directive requires the limitation of pollution of receiving waters due to storm water overflows according to best technical knowledge not entailing excessive cost. The system along the tidal Thames has combined sewer overflows which operate to prevent flooding and sewage treatment works from becoming overloaded during wet weather.
	The estimated volumes of sewage pumped to the river during some wet weather conditions in the following table are taken from pumping station records from the five largest pumping stations that discharge to the Thames Tideway. These are the only "overflow" points that have records of discharge volumes and are considered to be responsible for approximately 60 per cent. of the overflow discharges to the tideway in wet weather. The remaining 40 per cent. come from other pumping stations and gravity sewers. These percentages will vary considerably depending on the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall across London as well as other factors such as tidal state.
	
		
			 Month Estimated volume (m(3)) 
		
		
			 June 2004 3,047,000 
			 July 2004 1,260,000 
			 August 2004 4,945,000 
			 September 2004 446,000 
			 October 2004 4,290,000 
			 November 2004 304,000 
			 December 2004 4,507,000 
			 January 2005 825,000 
			 February 2005 502,000 
			 March 2005 2,052,000 
			 April 2005 1,305,000 
			 May 2005 nil 
			 June 2005 324,000 
			 June 2004 to present—16 June 2005: 
			 Total 23,807,000 
		
	
	The pollution of the tidal Thames by storm water overflows and compliance with the standards of legislation for continuous discharges is of considerable concern to this Administration.
	Since 2000 Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Defra, the Greater London Authority and the Office of Water Services (Ofwat) have been involved in a strategic study of the environmental impact of intermittent storm sewage (sewage and rainwater run-off) discharges to the Thames Tideway. The remit of the study was to identify objectives for improvement, and to propose potential solutions, having regard to costs and benefits.
	Since June 2004 five meetings of the Thames Tideway Strategic Study Steering Group have been held with my officials in attendance. The Greater London Authority representative did not attend one of the five meetings.
	The strategic study has developed three principal objectives:
	to protect the ecology of the tideway;
	to reduce the aesthetic pollution due to sewage-derived litter; and
	to protect the health of recreational water users.
	With regard to the assessment of the River Thames against these objectives the information can be found in the Thames Tideway Strategic Study Steering Group Report at www.thamestidewavstrategicstudy.co.uk. Defra has not made a separate assessment of the level of pollution of the Thames.
	We consider that the proposal arising from the interim report of the group for a large 35 km interceptor tunnel needs further investigation—it would take about 15 years to implement and cost in the order of £1.7 billion.
	My officials and the Thames Tideway Strategic Study Steering Group are carrying out further consideration of the issues and possible appropriate smaller-scale measures which may be able to deliver needed improvements sooner than could be delivered by the proposed tunnel. The report of the further findings and options presented, which is expected soon, will be carefully considered by Ministers and a decision will be taken on an appropriate course of action to be taken to meet our obligations to protect the environment in a cost effective way. No options including the interceptor tunnel are being ruled out at this stage.

Sugar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome of the 2004 meeting between the European Council and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on the EU sugar regime was; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In preparation for reform of the EU sugar regime, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers have had a range of contacts with the EU's existing preferential suppliers, notably in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries.
	As part of that dialogue, a joint meeting was held immediately following the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 25 January 2005. The purpose of the meeting was to explain the Commission's approach to reform and to discuss the proposed action plan on accompanying measures for Sugar Protocol countries likely to be affected. Commissioner Fischer Boel reiterated the case for early and substantive reform and said that she hoped for agreement before the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December. Commissioner Michel stressed that the EU would help the ACP to adapt on the basis of the actual needs of the countries concerned. Commissioner Mandelson underlined that preferential access to the EU market for ACP producers would be an important part of the Economic Partnership Agreements currently being negotiated with the ACP states.

Tallow

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the receipts to her Department were from the sale of tallow from animals slaughtered under compulsory schemes in each of the last three years; and what the projected income or deficit figures for the sale of tallow are for the next three years.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 June 2005
	Sales of tallow from animals slaughtered under the over-30-month scheme have resulted in the following receipts:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,888 
			 2003–04 1,251 
			 2004–05 4,957 
		
	
	Because of impending changes to the over-30-month scheme estimates for future tallow income are limited to the current financial year (2005–06) where sales of £2.35 million are forecast.

Water Charges

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 443W, on water meter charges, if she will break down those in receipt of the social tariff in each of the last three years by water company.

Elliot Morley: The following table sets out the numbers of customers in receipt of the vulnerable groups tariff (social tariff) for each company, over the last three years for which figures are available, as collected by Ofwat. Figures for 2004–05 are not yet available and will be published in October.
	
		Number of successful applications for the vulnerable groups tariff
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Anglian and Hartlepool 954 966 899 
			 Dwr Cymru 8 78 245 
			 United Utilities 706 946 1,031 
			 Northumbrian and Essex and Suffolk 283 316 378 
			 Severn Trent 373 449 682 
			 South West 468 601 912 
			 Southern 275 325 271 
			 Thames 519 675 1,097 
			 Wessex 182 202 294 
			 Yorkshire and York 460 594 768 
			 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 24 50 69 
			 Bristol 67 93 99 
			 Cambridge 40 51 74 
			 Dee Valley 1 3 5 
			 Folkestone 12 12 11 
			 Mid Kent 52 66 83 
			 Portsmouth 18 14 13 
			 South East Water 59 65 78 
			 South Staffs 26 32 36 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 0 5 10 
			 Tendring Hundred 91 132 98 
			 Three Valleys/North Surrey 98 157 49 
			 Total 4,716 5,832 7,202

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Bob Laxton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints (a) his Department and (b) the Inland Revenue received about the administration of child tax credit in 2003–04.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 393W, to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick).

Child Tax Credit

Bob Laxton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken by HM Revenue and Customs to improve the administration of child tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement I made to the House on 22 June 2005.

Gross Domestic Product

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross domestic product per head was in (a) London, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Cardiff, (d) Glasgow, (e) Belfast, (f) Liverpool, (g) Bristol, (h) Leeds, (i) Birmingham, (j) Manchester, (k) Sheffield, (l) Newcastle, (m) Nottingham and (n) the UK in (i) the most recent year for which figures are available, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 23 June 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about GDP per capita in regions of the United Kingdom in the last period for which figures are available, for 2001 and for 1997. (6355)
	The estimates in Table A are based on the regional gross value added1 (GVA) estimates published in December 2004. These are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBavSe/Productasp?vlnk=7359
	The latest published information is for 2003 at the higher level of geography and 2002 at the lower levels. London is the only city with data available for GVA per capita in 2003, as specified below.
	
		Table A: GVA(1) per capita for regions of the United Kingdom  -- £
		
			 Area 1997 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 London 17,850 21,793 23,068 23,579 
			 Edinburgh 18,301 22,283 24,016 — 
			 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan(2) 12,638 16,527 17,484 — 
			 Glasgow 15,398 19,454 20,575 — 
			 Inner Belfast(3) 15,932 20,779 22,123 — 
			 Outer Belfast(3) 7,637 9,704 10,367 — 
			 Liverpool 10,508 12,846 13,776 — 
			 Bristol 16,630 20,326 21,513 — 
			 Leeds 13,817 17,129 18,305 — 
			 Birmingham 12,608 15,737 16,466 — 
			 Manchester 11,265 13,772 14,458 — 
			 Sheffield 10,705 13,192 13,835 — 
			 Tyneside(4) 10,590 13,245 14,002 — 
			 Nottingham 16,919 19,547 20,113 — 
			 UK less Extra-Regio(5) 12,085 14,545 15,273 15,980 
		
	
	(1) Information presented here is gross value added (GVA) which is gross domestic product (GDP) less taxes (plus subsidies) on products.
	(2) Cardiff is part of the NUTS3 region Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, which is currently the lowest level of geography ONS publish.
	(3) Outer Belfast and Inner Belfast are published as separate NUTS3 regions.
	(4) Newcastle is part of Tyneside (NUTS3) which is currently the lowest level of Geography ONS publish.
	(5) Extra-Regio is that part of the UK's economic territory, which cannot be allocated to any specific region.

Household Incomes

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross disposable household income was in (a) current and (b) real price terms, using 2005 as the base year, for (i) each region, (ii) each country of the UK and (iii) the United Kingdom, for each year from 1996 to 2003; and if he will set out figures for each region and country indexed against the United Kingdom average.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 23 June 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about gross disposable household income. (6321)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) currently compiles regional gross domestic household income (GDHI) at current basic prices only. These are shown in Table A in pounds million and in Table B as indices.
	The latest estimates were published in April 2005 with new figures for 2000 to 2003 and revisions for 1995 to 1999. They are available on the ONS website: http://statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7359
	ONS produce national real price estimates for household income. The latest available estimates using 2001 as the reference year are available for the years requested, 1996 to 2003, and are shown in Table C. These figures were published in "United Kingdom Economic Accounts, Quarter 4, 2004", which can be found on the National Statistics website at: http://statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/UKEA04Q4.pdf
	
		Table A: Headline(6) gross disposable household income (GDHI)2 ,3 at current prices -- £ million
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(9) 
		
		
			 United Kingdom 528,459 563,421 580,084 609,428 654,654 702,774 724,296 752,592 
			 England 447,197 477,882 492,897 518,648 557,316 598,486 616,409 640,383 
			 North East 20,504 21,621 21,972 22,744 24,173 25,685 26,430 27,393 
			 North West 57,094 60,538 62,056 64,717 69,143 73,686 75,781 78,652 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,558 44,128 45,369 47,179 50,393 53,701 55,264 57,415 
			 East Midlands 34,592 36,788 37,800 39,538 42,493 45,749 47,353 49,377 
			 West Midlands 43,910 46,514 47,746 50,002 53,586 57,361 59,137 61,455 
			 East of England 50,533 54,076 55,837 58,983 63,833 69,199 71,710 74,762 
			 London 75,759 81,777 85,195 91,030 98,430 06,057 108,723 112,551 
			 South East 79,288 85,541 88,556 93,485 100,395 107,993 111,030 115,267 
			 South West 43,940 46,900 48,365 50,970 54,870 59,056 60,980 63,511 
			 Wales 23,388 24,577 25,112 26,267 28,305 30,368 31,452 32,720 
			 Scotland 43,701 46,049 46,852 48,652 51,986 55,555 57,260 59,439 
			 Northern Ireland 13,099 13,833 14,177 14,784 15,860 16,998 17,648 18,403 
			 Extra-Regio(10) 1,075 1,080 1,045 1,077 1,188 1,368 1,529 1,646 
		
	
	(6) The headline regional GDHI series for this publication have been calculated using a five point moving average.
	(7) Household income covers the income received by households and non-profit institutions serving households.
	(8) Components may not sum to totals as a result of rounding.
	(9) Provisional.
	(10) Parts of the UK economic territory that cannot be assigned to any particular region.
	
		Table B: Headline(11) gross disposable income per head (GDHI)(12) indices at current prices -- UK less Extra-Regio=100
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(13) 
		
		
			 United Kingdom(14) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 England 102 102 103 103 103 103 103 103 
			 North East 88 87 87 86 86 85 85 86 
			 North West 92 92 92 92 92 92 92 92 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 92 92 92 92 92 91 91 91 
			 East Midlands 93 93 92 92 92 92 92 92 
			 West Midlands 92 92 91 91 92 92 92 92 
			 East of England 107 106 106 107 107 108 109 109 
			 London 120 121 122 123 123 122 121 121 
			 South East 112 113 113 113 113 113 113 113 
			 South West 101 101 101 101 101 101 101 101 
			 Wales 89 88 87 87 88 88 88 88 
			 Scotland 95 94 93 93 93 92 93 93 
			 Northern Ireland 87 86 85 85 85 85 85 86 
		
	
	(11) The headline regional GDHI series for this publication have been calculated using a five point moving average.
	(12) Household income covers the income received by households and non-profit institutions serving households.
	(13) Provisional.
	(14) Excluding Extra-Regio.
	
		Table C: Real household disposable income:Chained volume measure
		
			  £ million (Reference year 2001) Index (2001=100) 
		
		
			 1996 586,303 83.6 
			 1997 610,183 87 
			 1998 611,966 87.2 
			 1999 631,836 90.1 
			 2000 670,075 95.5 
			 2001 701,585 100.0 
			 2002 711,344 101.4 
			 2003 729,630 104

Income Tax Returns

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of individuals filed their self-assessment returns on time in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The figures of returns issued before 31 October each year and received on time are as follows:
	
		
			 Return year Percentage filed by 31 January 
		
		
			 2003–04 90.6 
			 2002–03 90.6 
			 2001–02 90.5 
			 2000–01 90.6 
			 1999–2000 90.0

Money Laundering

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding concerns about money laundering through landlords' use of the insurance premium tax system.

Ivan Lewis: The Treasury have received no representations regarding concerns about money laundering through landlords' use of the insurance premium tax system.

Tax Underpayments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the underpayment of (a) direct tax and (b) national insurance contributions in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no reliable estimate of the direct tax and national insurance contributions underpaid in any of the last 10 years. However, as was acknowledged by the NAO Fraud Study published last year, HMRC is as well advanced as overseas fiscal authorities in its thinking and work on fraud measurement.

VAT

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the 100 per cent. VAT refund on repairs to listed religious buildings and to listed buildings of non-religious and secular significance.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are negotiating with our EU partners to achieve a reduced rate of VAT for repairs to listed places of worship. The Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme is due to continue until March 2008, unless a reduced rate is achieved earlier. The Government recognises the importance of these buildings within their communities and that the need to use specialist craftsmen and costly materials means that their upkeep can be a heavy burden, particularly on small congregations. The same considerations do not apply to all listed buildings. Approved alterations to certain charity, or residential, listed buildings are VAT zero-rated.

VAT

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has further to expand the VAT exemption scheme in Northern Ireland to cover all church buildings.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury gave on 4 April 2005, Official Report, column 1168W, to the former right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble).

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information

Ian Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what tenders have been issued by the Central Office of Information on behalf of the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) Department for Constitutional Affairs concerning communications activity relating to EU matters.

John Hutton: The Central Office of Information (COI) has issued tenders on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in relation to the United Kingdom (UK) presidency of the European Union (EU), as follows:
	recruiting a public relations agency to inform consumer and regional media on the presidency priorities;
	recruiting an integrated marketing agency to inform UK audiences on the presidency priorities;
	printing information materials for distribution during the presidency;
	producing official presidency stationery and products;
	research to test information materials and identify key areas of interest.
	COI has separately issued tenders in relation to:
	development of e-communications activity;
	mailing of EU Guide to libraries, citizens advice bureau etc;
	research to test information materials such as the EU Guide;
	development of partnership marketing activity;
	activity to raise awareness of the facts about the EU and to inform the public on where to access EU information.
	COI has not issued any tenders on behalf of the Department for Constitutional Affairs on EU matters.

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of his Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the south-east.

John Hutton: The Cabinet Office is implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate 250 posts out of London and the south-east by 2010. This will not exclude consideration of relocating some posts to relatively deprived areas in the south-east.

TRANSPORT

Borough Market

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for the Borough Market site if the deficiencies identified by the public inquiry inspector, in respect of the proposed Thameslink route, cannot be remedied.

Derek Twigg: Network Rail as the promoters of the Thameslink route modernisation scheme have revised their proposals to address the deficiencies identified at the earlier public inquiry. Their latest proposals, including those in respect of the Borough Market area, will be considered at the re-opened inquiry which starts in September. Once the inquiry inspector has reported, the various applications relating to this scheme will require joint decisions by this Department and ODPM. The Department cannot anticipate the outcome.

Concessionary Bus Travel

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what distribution formula is proposed for the free bus travel scheme for over 60s from April 2006; and what indicative allocations have been set for each local authority for 2006–07.

Karen Buck: Final decisions on the distribution of the extra funding—which will be done through the Revenue Support Grant process—have not been made.

Container Ports

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of likely container port demand in the UK;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the change in volume of container traffic which is likely to arise from the current applications for port expansion in the south of England.

Stephen Ladyman: The forthcoming review of ports policy, due to be launched once preliminary work has been completed, will address the key questions around existing and future port capacity and demand.
	To that end, my Department has commissioned consultants to produce national port traffic forecasts by region. These forecasts will include demand for container traffic through to 2030 in southern England as well as nationally, and will be published as part of the review.

Council Road Budgets

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities underspent on their road maintenance budgets in the last financial year; and by how much in each case.

Alistair Darling: Information on local authorities' spending on road maintenance in 2004–05 will not be available until early next year.

EU Driver Licensing Committee

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 9W, on the EU Driver Licensing Committee, when he expects a decision to be taken in relation to revisions to the medical standards set out in Annex III to European Directive 91/439/EEC.

Karen Buck: The timetable for the work of the EU Committee on the Driving Licence is a matter for the European Commission. Before any decision is taken on medical standards, we intend to consult the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panels on any proposals which may be made for change to these standards.

Global Oil Prices

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the assumptions used by the Future of Transport White Paper published on 21 March take account of potential future changes in global oil (a) prices and (b) resources.

Karen Buck: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The modelling and analysis supporting the White Paper was based on DTI's May 2004 long-term modelling assumptions for crude oil of $23 a barrel (2003 prices) in 2010 rising to almost $28 a barrel by 2020. This was consistent with assumptions used by the International Energy Agency.
	A good deal of uncertainty surrounds all transport projections. At present, developments in the oil market are injecting a major element of uncertainty. Sustained higher oil prices would imply lower traffic growth. If crude oil prices were to end up around US$5 a barrel higher in real terms in 2010 than assumed, we expect traffic projections would fall by around 1 per cent.

Heathrow

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the British Airports Authority regarding the proposed third runway for Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: The Secretary of State meets with BAA on a periodic basis to discuss a range of issues affecting the company's airports, including Heathrow. There is a substantial programme of work under way in the Department, working with BAA and others, to assess the prospects for further development at Heathrow, including adding a third runway, while meeting the stringent environmental conditions laid down in the Air Transport White Paper (Cm6046). Further details about this, which is known as the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow, are available on the Department's website (www.dft.gov.uk/aviation/projectheathrow).

Heathrow

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed (a) third runway and (b) sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport on (i) road, (ii) train and (iii) tube routes to the airport from central London.

Karen Buck: The impact of an expanded Heathrow on the surrounding surface access network was examined in the run up to Air Transport White Paper. The White Paper concluded that any further development of Heathrow would require improvements to public transport (especially rail infrastructure) and that some form of road user charging should also be considered. The surface access measures necessary to support an expanded Heathrow are being examined further as part of the project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow.

Kent Roads Budget

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much central funding Kent county council has received for its roads budget in each year since 1997.

Karen Buck: The Department for Transport has approved approximately £268 million of funding support for Kent county council between April 1997 and March 2005 in local transport capital settlements. Approximately £74 million has been for capital highways maintenance, £46 million for local improvements to the road network and roads based public transport and £148 million for major schemes (each costing more than £5 million). The major schemes were mainly road improvements, but also included is support for investment in the Fastrack public transport network in Kent Thames-side.
	In addition to funding provided through the local transport capital settlement, the Government also provided funding to Kent county council covering most of the costs of the Ramsgate harbour approach road.
	In addition central funding support for services, including routine highways services, is provided through revenue support grant. This is not allocated by the Government between individual council services.
	The funding support provided directly to Kent county council through the local transport capital settlement for each year is shown in the table. It has been for Kent county council to determine.
	
		Kent county council local transport capital settlement -- £000
		
			  Capital highways maintenance Integrated transport block Major schemes Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 4,495 2,275 72,834 79,604 
			 1998–99 2,774 2,460 29,000 34,234 
			 1999–2000 4,412 4,400 20,456 29,268 
			 2000–01 6,466 4,411 5,100 15,977 
			 2001–02 11,513 7,600 7,600 26,713 
			 2002–03 12,149 8,129 3,720 23,998 
			 2003–04 15,108 8,920 700 24,728 
			 2004–05 16,705 7,896 8,650 33,251

Parking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken into ways of addressing parking shortages in town centres, with particular reference to controlled parking zones.

Karen Buck: The Department is about to publish the results of research about the extent to which restrictions in controlled parking zones are understood. This does not specifically deal with parking shortages in town centres, which is a responsibility for local authorities under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Railways

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints his Department received concerning each train operating company in the last year for which figures are available.

Alistair Darling: The Department does not index correspondence by train operating company, and this information is therefore not available.
	The number of complaints received by the Rail Passengers Council about different train operators is published in its annual report. The results of the national passenger survey on passenger satisfaction are published on 24 June in the Strategic Rail Authority's National Rail Trends Yearbook 2004–05, a copy of which is placed in the House of Commons Library.

Railways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road bridges there are over railway lines in the Stroud constituency; and how many of these have additional measures of protection.

Karen Buck: This information is not held centrally. Gloucestershire county council is the highway authority for the Stroud constituency, and is responsible for almost all road bridges over railway lines there.

Road Lane Closures

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what authority (a) private contractors, (b) the emergency services and (c) others have to cone off road lanes; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: Private contractors carrying out works on the road for highway authorities should follow the advice in chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual; if working for utility companies they should follow the guidance in Safety at Street Works and Road Works—a Code of Practice. These publications show how works should be set out, including how cones should be used to close off sections of a road, to ensure the safety of the work force and road users. If any works require a temporary traffic regulation order, for example to close a road, then the relevant highway authority must make the order.
	Local authority or utility employees carrying out works on the road will be subject to the same requirements as contractors working for the bodies concerned.
	The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 gives the police powers to place signs, which includes traffic cones, when dealing with events, incidents and emergencies. The Traffic Management Act 2004 gives Highway Agency Traffic Officers powers to direct traffic and to place signs on the agency's roads in order to manage traffic.
	The Traffic Signs (Temporary Obstructions) Regulations 1997 specify the devices that may be used for directing traffic round broken-down vehicles and other temporary obstructions, and conditions for placing them. The devices include traffic cones, flat traffic delineators or traffic pyramids.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Prisoners

Colin Breed: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the female prison population.

Meg Munn: I very much welcome the recent announcement by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary of £9.15 million funding over four years for "a radical new approaches to help reduce women's offending". The new initiatives, set up in two areas, will include women's Community Supervision and Support Centres. These will provide women with one-stop access to the support and services needed to address issues that can affect why women offend, such as drug abuse, mental health, housing, child care and domestic violence. I and my right hon. Friend the Cabinet Minister for Women are in close contact with the relevant Ministers.

Pregnant Employees

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she is taking to ensure the equal treatment of pregnant women within the workplace.

Meg Munn: Employers who discriminate against pregnant women are breaking the law. We have taken the opportunity afforded by the amended Equal Treatment Directive to clarify the law and are amending the Sex Discrimination Act so that it explicitly outlaws pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.

Return to Work

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government are taking to help women returning to work after (a) giving birth and (b) bringing up a family.

Meg Munn: We recently consulted on options to encourage communication between employers and employees and ease women's return to work after time away to give birth and care for children. Other work includes an RDA pilot providing women returners with career advice and training, and the Women and Work Commission, who will report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the autumn on ways of giving women a fairer deal in the workplace.

Trafficking

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs concerning the Council of Europe convention on trafficking in relation to the trafficking of women.

Meg Munn: I fully support the work my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins), the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, is doing in relation to the Council of Europe Convention on Trafficking. My hon. Friend chairs the Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking and I will be attending the next meeting of the Ministerial Group, the first such meeting since my appointment.

Pay Discrimination

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with contractors to Government Departments about pay discrimination on gender grounds.

Meg Munn: The Office of Government Commerce is currently producing guidance to cover "Social Issues in Purchasing". This includes how and where gender and other social considerations may be incorporated in public sector procurement. It is acknowledged that the current framework allows scope to take account of gender considerations, as long as they occur within the existing legal and policy framework.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Darfur

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on humanitarian aid for the Darfur region of Sudan in each of the last three years; and what his plans are for each of the next three years.

Hilary Benn: Since the start of the crisis in Darfur in April 2003, the Department for International Development (DFID) has committed £90 million of humanitarian aid to the Darfur crisis, including assistance to Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. In the financial year 2003–04 DFID spent £7 million on humanitarian aid, of which £3 million went to the refugees in eastern Chad. In the financial year 2004–05 DFID spent £48.5 million on humanitarian aid for Darfur; of this £7 million went to eastern Chad. In the current financial year, 2005–06, DFID has set aside £75 million for humanitarian work across Sudan. Of this, DFID has so far spent £10 million on humanitarian aid to the Darfur region; of which £0.3 million has gone to eastern Chad.
	A further £23.5 million is committed for humanitarian projects in Darfur this year, including £2 million for eastern Chad. A further £7.5 million is available for humanitarian assistance across Sudan including Darfur, but it has not yet been allocated to specific projects or locations. Given the evolving situation, DFID is not yet in a position to confirm how much humanitarian aid will go to the Darfur region in the next three years.

Education (Millennium Development Goal)

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to provide universal primary education in Africa.

Hilary Benn: The most recent assessment of progress towards all the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s is a United Nations report published in June 2005. A 2004 UN chart colour codes whether regions are on track to meet key MDG targets or not.
	As reported in the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Report (2005), sub-Saharan Africa has made progress, but still has a third of its children out of school; 62 per cent. of children in this region were enrolled in primary school in 2001 (the most recently available figures). Unsurprisingly, given this, the UN's 2004 chart shows that this region is not on track to meet the universal primary education Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by 2015 without dramatically scaled up efforts. Northern Africa is however, on track to meet this target, with 92 per cent. of pupils enrolled in primary education in 2001.
	The picture is not uniform. Appropriate policies and sufficient expenditure have enabled countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda to make good progress. These countries are judged on track to meet the universal primary education Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by 2015.
	DFID puts a high priority on expanding primary school enrolment and promoting girls education and plans to contribute £1.4 billion to education in Africa between 2005 and 2008.

G8 Summit (African Debt)

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the financial impact of the G8 Finance Ministers meeting in June on African countries in the highly indebted poor countries initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: At their meeting on 10/11 June, the G8 Finance Ministers re-affirmed their commitment to the full implementation and financing of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. They also agreed a new proposal to cancel 100 per cent. of qualifying HIPCs' debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank and the African Development Fund of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
	The proposal, to be presented to the Boards of the World Bank, IMF and AfDB, would cancel up to $55 billion worth of debt for 38 countries. Eighteen countries, 14 of which are in Africa, would immediately be eligible for this relief, as they have completed the HIPC process. They would benefit from up to $40 billion worth of debt cancellation. The G8 proposal will therefore free up substantial additional resources for spending on health, education and infrastructure and to help countries meet the Millennium Development Goals. The mechanism by which qualifying HIPC countries would receive this new multilateral debt relief would be by adjusting these countries' gross assistance flows by the amounts forgiven. Details of the proposal are still being worked out, so it is not yet possible to give precise figures of the net benefits to individual countries.
	An additional nine African HIPCs are expected to complete the HIPC process over the next year or two. They would then also qualify for assistance under the new proposal. A further nine African countries have been identified as eligible for HIPC. However, conflict and governance concerns are hampering their progress through the HIPC process. As and when they complete the HIPC initiative, they would also qualify for assistance under this new deal.
	The G8 Finance Ministers have agreed that G8 countries will provide their share of the finances needed to cover the cost of this debt relief. Therefore in addition to the proposed debt stock cancellation, the additional resources donors provide as compensation to the World Bank and AfDB would be channelled through IDA and the African Development Fund to benefit all recipient countries.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Family Resolutions Scheme

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Government have spent to date on the Family Resolutions Pilot Scheme; how many couples have completed full courses on the Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the future of the Scheme.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	Total expenditure on the Family Resolutions Pilot Project as of 31 May 2005 is £190,628. 47 couples have been referred to the Pilot. Of these, 23 couples have completed the full programme. We expect to take decisions on the future of the Family Resolutions Project in April 2006, after evaluation is complete.

Marked Electoral Registers

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  if she will ensure that her Department and its contractor Pickfords Records Management make no greater charge per page for the general election marked register than do local councils for marked registers after local elections;
	(2)  if she will ensure that marked registers remain in the custody of local authorities following future general elections.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 22 June 2005.

Marked Electoral Registers

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what (a) administrative and (b) legislative steps would need to be taken to ensure that marked registers remain in the custody of local authorities following a general election.

Harriet Harman: Transferring the duty to store marked registers from the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery to local authorities, would require amending Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. This could be achieved only through primary legislation.
	If the duty to store election documents produced, at a general election, were to be transferred to local authorities, it would then be for those authorities to take any appropriate administrative steps to ensure effective storage of all documents, and access to those documents open to inspection, including the marked registers.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Abandoned Vehicles

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of Operation Scrap-it; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Operation Scrap-it, led by the Association of London Government, and funded as part of the Together programme has shown what can be achieved by focussed action on tackling nuisance vehicles. 98 per cent. of abandoned vehicles across London are now being removed within 72 hours and free take back of end of life vehicles is provided across the capital.
	The Government's national strategy for tackling nuisance vehicles, published last November, aims to learn on this success and that of other schemes, such as the car clearance initiatives funded by the Arson Control Forum, to cut the number of abandoned vehicles by 25 per cent. by 2008.

Braeburn Park, Crayford

David Evennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from the residents of Braeburn Park, Crayford in respect of the planning applications from FM Conway Dartford; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister received a petition from the residents of Braeburn Park and a number of individual letters objecting to the development. These will be fully considered before a decision is made on whether to call in the application.

Braeburn Park, Crayford

David Evennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to make a decision on the FM Conway Dartford planning applications.

Phil Woolas: These applications have been formally referred to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, the First Secretary of State as departures from the development plan. We are still considering whether they should be called in for the Secretary of State's decision and we expect to take a view on this very soon. I cannot make any further comment on the applications at this time.

Disability Discrimination Act

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued on the application of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to public areas of (a) local authority and (b) housing association (i) blocks, (ii) walkways, (iii) play areas and (iv) open spaces.

Phil Woolas: It is the responsibility of local authorities and housing associations to ensure that they comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. Providing guidance on disability issues is one of the functions of the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The DRC's part 3 code of practice deals with the duties placed by part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 on those providing goods, facilities or services to the public and those selling, letting or managing premises.

Fire Control Centre (South-east England)

Michael Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the net cost change that will ensue from the proposed Regional Fire Control Centre for South East England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Figures for the south-east only are not currently available, as the business case for the FiReControl project currently exists at a national level. The new national network of control centres is expected to achieve, on average, a possible saving of 30 per cent. over existing arrangements from financial year 2009–10 onwards.

Housing Development (Flood Risk)

Mark Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will review the guidance given to local authorities on development in areas at risk from flooding or on a flood plain; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend, the former Minister for Housing and Planning, announced that we will be revising planning policy on development and flood risk (PPG25) in his statement of 24 March 2005, Official Report, column 83WS.

Local Government

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the bodies in Gloucestershire with whom he has discussed plans for local government reorganisation.

Phil Woolas: None. At present the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans for local government reorganisation.

Mobile Phone Masts

Anne Milton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to allow health concerns to be taken into account during the planning process for mobile phone masts.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are carefully considering the judgment on 13 November 2003 by the Court of Appeal in the case of "First Secretary of State v. T Mobile and others" and the report entitled "Mobile Phones and Health 2004" published by the National Radiological Protection Board on 11 January which both make reference to the extent to which local planning authorities can take health concerns into account in decisions about the siting of mobile phone base stations. The NRPB supports the Government view that whilst planning is necessarily a local issue the assessment of evidence related to possible health concerns associated with exposures to RF fields from base stations is best dealt with nationally.

Recreational Spaces (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what quantity of public recreational open space there was in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Regional Assemblies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to hold a referendum on establishing an elected regional assembly in (a) the North West and (b) Yorkshire and Humber.

Yvette Cooper: No. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's statement to the House given on 8 November 2004, Official Report, columns 587–89. The hon. Member was present during my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's statement and led the response on behalf of the opposition.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of her Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the South East.

Richard Caborn: My Department and sponsored organisations are implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate 600 posts out of London and the South East by 2010. This will not exclude consideration of relocating some of the posts to relatively deprived areas of the South East. So far, my Department has not identified any posts suitable for transfer to deprived areas of the South East.

Digital Satellite Broadcasting

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure that those areas of the country which are unable to receive digital terrestrial television for technical reasons have access to a free digital satellite service equivalent to Freeview at a comparable set-up cost.

James Purnell: All the BBCs television services are broadcast without encryption and can be accessed by viewers using digital satellite receivers and dishes available from retailers. In addition, a free-to view satellite service offering all public service broadcasting channels was launched by BSkyB in 2004.
	The Government believe there are considerable benefits for consumers in broadcasters continuing to promote the development of free to view satellite provision. This will help to drive digital take up in areas poorly served by digital terrestrial in the run up to digital switchover.

Electronic Programming Guides

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department expects the publication of Ofcom's Review of Electronic Programming Guides; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: The matter is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Listed Buildings

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department expects to publish its consultation on revised criteria for listing buildings; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: As part of the wider reform of the heritage protection system, we expect to publish the consultation on the revised criteria for listing buildings in summer 2005.

National Sports Foundation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the outcome was of the recent meeting between the four sport consortiums and her Department to discuss the National Sports Foundation.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 20 June 2005
	Discussions with the National Governing Bodies for Sport about the National Sports Foundation are at an early stage and no decisions have been made. Further details will be announced in due course.

National Sports Foundation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her Answers of 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 53W, on the National Sports Foundation, when the Government expects to announce the (a) location, (b) budget, (c) staffing requirements, (d) structure and (e) grant criteria for the National Sports Foundation.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 20 June 2005
	Discussions about the National Sports Foundation are at an early stage and no decisions have been made. Further details will be announced in due course.

Sports

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives are (a) in place and (b) planned to meet the Department's public service agreement target to increase participation within priority groups, including women, by three per cent. by 2008.

Richard Caborn: DCMS is working with Sport England on a range of key interventions to increase participation within priority groups, including women and we are in the process of agreeing a delivery plan with Sport England for the PSA target,
	(a) Key initiatives in place include:
	In the five years to 2008, Government investment in the PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy will top £1.5 billion, which also includes Lottery Fund assistance.
	Investment of £60 million in the coaching programme that seeks to build on the National Strategy.
	By 2006, Government and the National Lottery will have committed over £1 billion to develop new or refurbished sports facilities. We aim to develop a comprehensive facilities strategy mapping out supply, demand and priorities for investment.
	(b) Planned initiatives include:
	The creation of a National Sports Foundation, bringing together Government and the national governing bodies for sport, will be an investment fund for grassroots sport, with a £27 million initial investment as announced by the Chancellor in March.
	The creation of "Sport Direct", a new information service which will establish a single portal for sport so that people can find out what is on offer in their local area.
	In addition, Sport Action Zones (SAZs) were established in January 2000 as part of the Sport England Lottery Strategy to tackle sporting deprivation impacting on our target groups, in some of the most socially and environmentally deprived areas in the country.
	The DCMS Participation Survey, starting in July 2005, will provide statistically robust data to monitor performance of our PSA targets.

Ulster Scots (Television Programmes)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provision there is in the BBC Charter for Ulster Scots programmes in Northern Ireland.

James Purnell: There is no specific requirement under the BBC's Charter for the provision of Ulster Scots programmes in Northern Ireland. However, the BBC does provide a range of content in Ulster Scots and the Government's March Green Paper on the BBC made clear that its role should include provision in indigenous minority languages across a range of platforms.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which aircraft he expects to fly from the new aircraft carrier in 2012.

Adam Ingram: The future aircraft carrier has been designed with the flexibility to operate a variety of aircraft, both fixed-wing and rotary. The planned composition of the first carrier's air group continues to be defined, but we anticipate that the Joint Combat Aircraft, which we expect to start taking delivery of in 2011, will be conducting flight trials from the new carrier when it enters service, as part of our progressive approach to providing the future carrier strike capability.

Departmental Equipment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the value of his Department's equipment (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last five years, broken down by service.

Don Touhig: The value of losses to the Ministry of Defence in each of the last five years are listed in the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
	The figures representing the MOD's equipment stolen in each of the last five years are not available in the requested format. However, the totals for each period are as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Value (£) 
		
		
			 2004–05 677,000.00 
			 2003–04 1,220,000.00 
			 2002–03 326,000.00 
			 2001–02 85,000.00 
			 2000–01 221,000.00

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships have visited (a) Gibraltar and (b) Spain since 1 April.

Adam Ingram: The following tables show which Royal Navy and (for completeness) Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships have visited Gibraltar and Spain since 1 April 2005 to date (22 June 2005).
	
		Gibraltar
		
			 Port Ship Arrival date Departure date 
		
		
			 Gibraltar RFA Fort Rosalie 4 March 2005 27 May 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Nottingham 31 March 2005 2 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar TIMS Invincible 6 April 2005 6 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Grafton 7 April 2005 8 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Enterprise 19 April 2005 20 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar RFA Orangeleaf 19 April 2005 28 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Manchester 21 April 2005 25 April 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Manchester 29 April 2005 2 May 2005 
			 Gibraltar HMS Scott 4 May 2005 9 May 2005 
			 Gibraltar RFA Sir Galahad 21 May 2005 29 May 2005 
			 Gibraltar RFA Black Rover 21 June 2005 Continuing 
		
	
	
		Spain
		
			 Port Ship Arrival date Departure date 
		
		
			 Barcelona RFA Fort George 30 March 2005 4 April 2005 
			 Palma HMS Montrose 1 April 2005 5 April 2005 
			 Barcelona HMS Cardiff 17 April 2005 22 April 2005 
			 Valencia HMS Marlborough 19 April 2005 23 April 2005 
			 Vigo HMS Albion 22 April 2005 25 April 2005 
			 El Ferrol HMS Albion 26 April 2005 28 April 2005 
			 Barcelona HMS Chatham 5 May 2005 10 May 2005 
			 Rota RFA Fort Austin 9 May 2005 16 May 2005 
			 Rota RFA Fort Austin 18 May 2005 18 May 2005 
			 Rota HMS Cardiff 28 May 2005 31 May 2005 
			 Vigo HMS Ocean 28 May 2005 1 June 2005 
			 Rota HMS Cardiff 9 June 2005 11 June 2005 
			 Rota HMS Somerset 10 June 2005 14 June 2005 
			 Rota HMS Cardiff 11 June 2005 12 June 2005 
			 Malaga HMS Echo 22 June 2005 22 June 2005

International Criminal Court

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the application of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to UK service personnel; and what his Department's policy is regarding bringing prosecutions under (a) this Act and (b) other military and civil law.

Adam Ingram: It is an offence under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to commit genocide, a crime against humanity, or a war crime. This applies to any person subject to UK Service jurisdiction, by any UK national, and by any UK resident. UK criminal courts and courts martial have jurisdiction over service personnel for offences under the Act.
	Decisions on the prosecution of persons subject to UK service jurisdiction for any criminal offence are matters for the relevant independent prosecuting authorities.

Iraq

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many agency medical staff have been employed in Iraq since 1 June 2004; and at what cost.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2005
	11 agency medical staff have been employed by the MOD in Iraq since 1 June 2004 through two separate contracts. The total value of these two contracts to the Ministry of Defence since 1 June 2004 is £600,573. This figure includes agency staff that have been employed in other theatres of operation; to further breakdown this figure would breach commercial confidentiality.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the in-service date is for the Joint Combat Aircraft.

Adam Ingram: In-service dates for projects are not set until the main investment decision which is made when we have a clear understanding of the risks, contracting arrangements and robust estimates of cost and time. In the case of the Joint Combat Aircraft this will be the manufacture Main Gate decision point. Our internal planning assumptions are based on an ISD of 2014.

Minehunter Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the recovery of remote-controlled minehunter submarines in respect of (a) retrieval by the Royal Navy and (b) salvage payments to civilians who recover such units.

Adam Ingram: The policy relating to the recovery of Royal Navy remote controlled mine hunting submersibles is the same as that for any other item of Royal Navy property lost at sea.
	A cost/benefit assessment is carried out, covering issues such as public safety, environmental impact, technical probability of successful recovery, security, operational requirements and the cost of replacing the item. Depending on the outcome of this assessment, a salvage operation may be undertaken.
	Salvage payments to civilians, other than those employed by the Ministry of Defence, who recover such items are generally dealt with in accordance with the guidelines set out in the London Salvage Convention 1989.

Minehunter Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many remote-controlled minehunter submarines have been lost by the Royal Navy in each year since 1997; and what the cost has been.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally. However, records indicate that since 1997, remote-control mine disposal systems have been used on over 9,500 occasions by the Royal Navy. During this time, five systems have been reported as lost in the course of operations: one in 1998, one in 2003, one in 2004 and a further two in 2005. Two were permanently lost with replacement costs totalling some £778,000. Salvage payments for recovered units over the period amount to just over £50,000.

Ministerial Meetings

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hon. Members have requested meetings with him since his appointment; and if he will list those he has met.

John Reid: Together with my ministerial colleagues, I have met many right hon. and hon. Members in the course of my duties as Secretary of State for Defence.

Naval Contingency Plans

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his contingency provisions are for each class of naval ship, in the event that any are unexpectedly put out of commission and need replacing; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: No provision is made specifically for ship loss. In such an event, the requirement for a replacement ship would be considered alongside competing priorities for resources.

Newquay Airport

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange a meeting with the hon. Member for North Cornwall and ministerial colleagues from the Department for Transport to discuss the future of Newquay Airport.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 June 2005
	I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

North Atlantic Council

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on 24 May; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: I met many of my EU counterparts at the NATO ministerial meeting on 9–10 June, which discussed Darfur among other matters. In addition I have had general discussions with a number of my EU colleagues in recent weeks, including about Darfur.

Personnel and Training Command

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements will be made for other service units located at RAF Innsworth following the relocation of Personnel and Training Command to RAF High Wycombe.

Adam Ingram: The RAF Innsworth site is home to an element of the Armed Forces Personnel Administrative Agency (AFPAA). AFPAA is conducting a separate investment appraisal into the options for their relocation from Innsworth. The result of this will not be known until at least the end of this year.

Personnel and Training Command

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the ability of RAF High Wycombe to accommodate Personnel and Training Command staff; and what estimate has been made of the cost of changes needed to accommodate those personnel.

Adam Ingram: A comprehensive study and investment appraisal has been carried out to assess the efficiencies and effectiveness of collocation which included the provision of office accommodation. The cost of changes required to working accommodation has been estimated at £2.6 million.

Race Relations (Amendment) Act

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have received training on the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) grade.

Don Touhig: It is mandatory for all staff (both civilian and service) to attend Equality and Diversity training when they join the department and at regular intervals while in the department. The content of this training reflects the terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Details are shown in the department's Race Equality Scheme annual publications at: http://www.mod.uk/issues/racial_equality/index.html
	5,430 civilian staff attended the equality and diversity, equality and diversity for new managers and refresher training courses during the year 2004–05. The following tables show the breakdown by grade and ethnicity.
	
		Table 1: Number of civilians attending equality and diversity training in 2004–05 by ethnicity
		
			  Number of individuals Percentage of total 
		
		
			 Ethnic minorities 150 7.7 
			 White 4,070 6.1 
			 Not known 1,210 5.0 
			 Total 5,430 6.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded individually and rounded totals may not be the sum of rounded values.
	2. The percentage is of the average strength in that category during the year 2004–05.
	3. Civilians from Trading Funds have been excluded from this table.
	
		Table 2: Number of civilians attending equality and diversity training in 2004–05 by equivalent grade
		
			  Number of individuals Percentage of total 
		
		
			 SCS or equivalent 20 6.2 
			 Band B or equivalent 130 4.8 
			 Band C or equivalent 1,270 7.3 
			 Band D or equivalent 1,390 9.5 
			 Band E or equivalent 2,010 6.6 
			 Other non industrials 20 4.1 
			 Skill zones or equivalent 600 3.8 
			 Total 5,430 6.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded individually and rounded totals may not be the sum of rounded values.
	2. The percentage of total is of the average strength in that category during the year 2004–05.
	3. Civilians from Trading Funds have been excluded from this table. Figures for Service personnel are not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

RAF Innsworth

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the site at RAF Innsworth.

Adam Ingram: As part of the estate rationalisation work, Defence Estates will carefully examine any opportunities for alternative defence or public use of the Innsworth site. Unless an alternative defence use can be found, it is envisaged that the Innsworth site will close by the end of 2008 and be offered by Defence Estates for disposal.

RAF Innsworth

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what service units (a) are and (b) are planned to be co-located at RAF Innsworth.

Adam Ingram: Together with RAF Innsworth, HQ Personnel and Training Command and an element of the Armed Forces Personnel Administrative Agency are located on the RAF Innsworth site. There are no plans for any other units to be collocated at RAF Innsworth.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget is for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary for 2005–06, broken down by (a) cost of running vessels at sea, (b) land based administration, (c) maintenance of ships and (d) other expenses; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: CINC FLEET does not manage costs on the basis of platform types but on functions. The RFA does not therefore have a distinct, identifiable budget. However, the following indicative figures were used for planning purposes for the costs to FLEET and the DLO for 2005–06.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 (a) Cost of Running Vessels at Sea  
			 FLEET  
			 Direct Costs 134 
			 Indirect Costs (Depreciation and cost of capital) 108 
			   
			 (b) Land Based Administration  
			 FLEET 9 
			 DLO 4 
			   
			 (c) Maintenance of Ships  
			 DLO 60 
			   
			 (d) Other Expenses  
			 FLEET  
			 RFA Cadet Nautical School Training 1

Taxis

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Department has spent on taxis in each of the last five years.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Territorial Army

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce the changes to the Territorial Army under the future army structure.

Adam Ingram: The future Territorial Army (TA) structure will ensure a more relevant, efficient and usable operational capability. There will be some adjustments to its capabilities to meet new requirements and ensure that it best supports the Regular Army on operations. These changes will provide TA manpower for new specialist areas, such as Intelligence, Engineers, Military Provost staff and Attack Helicopter support teams. The final structure is in the process of being worked through, in close consultation with the reserves community, and will be confirmed by the end of the year.

Uglow Farm, Edgworth

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his review of the proposed development at Uglow Farm, Edgworth, is complete.

Don Touhig: Yes. Following a joint review of the case by the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems Warton, the objection to the proposed wind turbines at Uglow Farm has been lifted.
	Blackburn and Darwen borough council and the developer have been informed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Colonel Hamid Pourmand

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government are making to the Government of Iran on the trial on charges of apostasy of Colonel Hamid Pourmand.

Kim Howells: We have pressed the Iranian authorities many times over Mr. Pourmand's detention, and called for his immediate release. European Union representatives raised his case most recently on 20 April, at our request. I understand that Mr. Pourmand continues to serve a three-year prison sentence for allegedly failing to inform his employers of his faith. Mr. Pourmand was acquitted of additional charges of apostasy on 28 May. According to press reports, the judge noted that he had received a large number of calls for these charges against Mr. Pourmand to be dropped. I will continue to follow his situation closely.

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the south-east.

Jack Straw: My Department is implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate 450 jobs out of London, to Hanslope Park, Buckinghamshire, by 2010. This will not exclude consideration of relocating other posts to relatively deprived areas in the south-east and other parts of the UK. So far, my department has not identified any post suitable for transfer to deprived areas in the south-east.

Diplomatic Cars

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the makes of car used by (a) governors, (b) ambassadors and (c) consuls; and what his policy is on using UK-built cars.

Jack Straw: Procurement of vehicles for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is based on achieving value for money, normally by competition and in a manner which conforms with appropriate UK regulations and EU directives. Within that approach, we prefer British missions abroad to buy British cars, where they are readily available and represent value for money.
	The FCO has negotiated framework contracts with Jaguar, Land Rover and MG Rover. Currently 88 per cent. of our flag vehicles are built in the UK. A detailed listing of vehicles against the categories is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Embassies/High commissions Consuls general Governors Total 
		
		
			 Land Rover 60 12 2 74 
			 Toyota 6 2 1 9 
			 Rover 10 6 1 17 
			 Jaguar 48 23 — 71 
			 BMW 3 4 — 7 
			 Volvo 2 1 — 3 
			 Mercedes 2 — — 2 
			 Rolls Royce 2 — — 2 
			 Chrysler — 1 — 1 
			 Cadillac — 1 — 1

Jerusalem (Homes' Demolition)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Israel on the proposed demolition of homes in the el-Bustan area of Silwan Village in East Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We were disturbed to hear of plans by Israel to demolish 88 homes in Silwan in East Jerusalem. We raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities. We are encouraged to hear that there is now no intention to issue orders to demolish these homes.

Taliban

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the numeric strength of the Taliban in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Pakistan.

Kim Howells: It is not easy to distinguish former Taliban and their sympathisers from other groups hostile to the current political process in Afghanistan. We believe that at any given time the number of former Taliban actively involved in insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan is in the very low thousands. But the remoteness and geography of the Pakistani border region with Afghanistan, the difficulty of maintaining border controls, and the movement of people across the border, makes it difficult to give an accurate assessment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Assault

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of the existence of aggravating factors in an assault on the willingness of the prosecuting agency to prosecute.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 20 June 2005
	The Government have not conducted any research into the effects of aggravating factors in assaults on the willingness of prosecuting agencies to prosecute.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of (a) investigating the suitability of and (b) the planning process, including the cost of any public inquiries or litigation when relevant, in respect of each site that Government consider for accommodation centres for asylum seekers.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. It could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many automatic number plate recognition readers are (a) in place and (b) planned, broken down by police authority.

Paul Goggins: The total number of current, and planned, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) readers is not collated by the Home Office and is a matter for individual police forces and their partners.

Drugs Offences (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were charged with possession of (a) class A, (b) class B and (c) class C drugs in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information on charging for these offences is not centrally available.

EU Presidency

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what communication activities are planned in relation to the policy areas covered by his Department during the UK presidency of the EU; and what budget has been allocated for these activities.

Andy Burnham: External communications activity for the UK presidency of the EU is being coordinated centrally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Within the Home Office external communications activity has been provided for by existing budgets for EU work and no additional budget agreed. External communications work for the presidency will include media handling around JHA councils, the JHA informal, smaller Home Office presidency seminars and events on themes such as resettlement, new detection technology, e-borders and the safe use of the internet, and joint seminars with other agencies. The Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs will join together to make a short video outlining justice and home affairs presidency priorities.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many referrals of (a) immigration, (b) asylum and (c) naturalisation cases to the immigration and nationality directorate by hon. Members there have been in each year since 2001, broken down by constituency.

Tony McNulty: During the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2004 the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) received 109,331 letters from Members of Parliament about case-related asylum, immigration and nationality matters. These included both letters sent for ministerial reply and those to which replies were sent by officials. The breakdown by constituency is given in a table which has been placed in the Library.

Managed Migration Directorate

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the letter of 28 April to the hon. Member for Aylesbury from NCC5 of the managed migration directorate, whether case S1081532 has now been allocated to a caseworker; and when he expects the applicant to be notified of the decision.

Tony McNulty: This case is under consideration in the immigration and nationality directorate (IND). The circumstances of the case are not straightforward and it is likely to be some weeks before a decision can be made.

Micro Bikes

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many incidences of "micro" or "pocket" bikes being ridden illegally on-road there have been in each year since 2002; and how many of those incidences related to underage riders;
	(2)  how many successful prosecutions for the illegal riding of "pocket" or "micro" bikes there have been in each year since 2002, broken down by region.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to identify those offences relating to the use of "pocket" or "micro" bikes from the data collected on the Home Office court proceedings database or by recorded crime.

Olufemi Ojemuyiwa

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the application by Olufemi Ojemuyiwa, reference A1194808, for indefinite leave to stay in the United Kingdom.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 June 2005
	It is our usual practice only to disclose information about an individual's immigration case to his or her constituency MP.

Shooting

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatalities were caused as a result of the shooting of foxes and ground game at night in each of the past five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Voluntary/Community Activity

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards the public service agreement target of increasing voluntary and community activity, including increased community participation, by 5 per cent. by 2006.

Paul Goggins: Voluntary and community sector organisations have a crucial role to play in the reinvigoration of civic life and it is important that people are given more opportunities and support to become actively involved in their communities. Performance against the Home Department's targets is published in the annual report and the autumn performance report available at the House Library and on the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). The Home Office annual report for 2004–05 with the latest performance information was published on 20 June 2005.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Addiction

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided for addiction (a) treatment and (b) rehabilitation in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested on funding for drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation is not available centrally.
	In relation to rehabilitation, this is an integral part of all drug and alcohol treatment whether community or inpatient based. The cost of this generic rehabilitation cannot be disaggregated from the total costs of such programmes. The majority of drug rehabilitation can and does take place in the community as part of an overall community care and rehabilitation programme and provision exists within each board area to refer individuals to residential rehabilitation centres outside Northern Ireland if deemed to be clinically appropriate.
	I will write to the hon. Lady with the information as soon as it is received from health and social services boards.

Education and Library Board Services

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide additional funding to the South Eastern Education and Library Board to enable it to reverse its recent announcement of cuts to school crossing patrol services within its catchment area.

Angela Smith: Further to my answer about the change in funding for Education and Library Board services for 2005–06 of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 848W, I can also advise that boards have significant flexibility in deciding how to use resources allocated to them and, therefore, the decision to reduce the number of crossing patrols in the South Eastern Board is an operational matter for the Board.
	I am assured by the Board that school crossing patrols have only been removed in a small number of areas, and that, in all cases, the Board is satisfied that removal of the service does not jeopardise the safety of children.

Freedom of Information Act

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and (b) NHS personnel in the Province have been employed on processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since 1 January 2005.

Shaun Woodward: In (a) the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety 32 staff, and in (b) Health and Personnel Social Services bodies 214 staff, have been involved in processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since 1 January 2005. Information is not available on the precise amount of time spent on processing freedom of information requests but it represents only a small proportion of the total working time of the staff involved.

Internet

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each Education and Library Board area in Northern Ireland have access to the internet.

Angela Smith: The percentage of schools with internet access is as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			 Education and Library Board  Primary  Secondary 
		
		
			 Belfast 96.9 100 
			 Western 99.5 100 
			 North-Eastern 99.5 100 
			 South-Eastern 99.4 100 
			 Southern 100 100

NHS Staff (Attacks)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in meeting targets for reducing attacks on NHS staff in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: There are no specific targets set for reducing attacks on Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) staff. HPSS employers have been instructed to take measures to minimise the risk of violent attacks against staff. Figures reported for the six months from October 2004 to March 2005 indicate a reduction in the number of reported incidents; 149 fewer than in the previous six months. This indicates that the steps taken by HPSS employers are having a positive effect.

Nurse Recruitment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made in re-recruiting former nurses to the NHS in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The recruitment of staff, including nurses, is a matter for individual Health and Social Services Trusts taking into account factors such as service needs and available resources. The Department however support former nurses, who have not practised for five years or more, to return to work by funding "Return to Practice" programmes.

Parades

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to be in a position to report on whether parades which (a) took place and (b) will take place on the basis of technically incorrect uncompleted 11/1 forms are legal.

Shaun Woodward: The decision on whether any particular 11/1 form does not meet the requirements of Section 6 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, and that therefore those involved in organising and participating in that parade have committed an offence and should be prosecuted, is one for the Public Prosecutions Service, following consideration of the findings of a police investigation into any potential offences.
	The Parades Commission has said that it is determined to do its part to minimise contention and therefore to use as much flexibility as the legislation allows to ensure that the parading season passes off peaceably. To that end the Commission will whenever possible make determinations on those few contentious parades where it is involved.

Porphyria

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in the Province suffer from each of the forms of porphyria.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of individuals in the Province suffering from each form of porphyria is not available centrally.
	Information is available on the number of sufferers admitted to hospital. According to the hospital inpatients system, 12 sufferers were admitted to hospital in 2003–04. Seven were diagnosed with "Torphyria cutanea tarda" and four were diagnosed with "other porphyria". One person was diagnosed with both of these conditions.

Pupil Suspensions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils were suspended from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools for (i) bullying, (ii) violence towards teaching staff and (iii) carrying offensive weapons in each of the last three years, broken down by Board area.

Angela Smith: The reasons for suspension were first collected in 2002–03 school year and relate to the number of individual suspensions not the number of pupils suspended. The reason for a suspension is categorised by a school into one of 10 possibilities and these do not include carrying an offensive weapon.
	The information on relevant individual suspensions for 2002–03 school year is as follows:
	
		
			  Bullying of a pupil Physical attack on staff Verbal abuse of staff 
			 Board area Primary Post primary Primary Post primary Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 BELB 4 47 18 52 23 353 
			 WELB 1 43 16 71 13 350 
			 NEELB 12 52 30 60 25 418 
			 SEELB 1 55 10 43 10 350 
			 SELB 1 60 4 29 8 426 
		
	
	The detailed suspension data for 2003–04 submitted by the Southern Education and Library Board (SELB) has still to be fully analysed. When this has been done in the near future, I will write to the hon. Member and provide the SELB statistics. The four-board information for 2003–04 school year is as follows:
	
		
			  Bullying of a pupil Physical attack on staff Verbal abuse of staff 
			 Board area Primary Post primary Primary Post primary Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 BELB 9 55 21 36 28 427 
			 WELB 6 58 20 40 27 453 
			 NEELB 14 68 13 35 15 499 
			 SEELB 0 44 4 54 8 323 
			 SELB Not available Not available Not available Not available Not available Not available

Regional Cancer Centre

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress on the regional cancer centre becoming fully operational.

Shaun Woodward: The cancer centre construction programme is on schedule for completion by 31 December 2005. The official handover of the building and installed equipment to the Belfast City Hospital Trust is planned for the beginning of January 2006. It is proposed that the transfer of all patients, staff and services will take place in March 2006.

Regional Cancer Centre

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress in securing staff to work in the Province's new regional cancer centre.

Shaun Woodward: The Department has made available additional revenue resources through the health boards over the last few years to enable the Belfast City Hospital Trust to build up the staff complement in preparation for the opening of the cancer centre. The trust has not experienced any difficulties filling these posts.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Loan Sharks

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what action he is taking to protect vulnerable people from loan sharks;

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (2) what steps he is taking to protect vulnerable people from loan sharks.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are funding pilot projects in Birmingham and Glasgow to tackle loan sharks. This will enable Trading Standards to investigate and prosecute illegal lenders in these areas. It will also help gain a clearer understanding of the scope, extent and impact of illegal money lending. The project is already showing results with prosecutions in progress in both areas.

Gas Supplies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the UK's future gas needs.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make a report on security of supply to Parliament in July. This will include an assessment of the UK's future gas needs, updating the information given in the most recent report of the Joint Energy Security of Supply Group, published in November of last year.

Coal Mining

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support he made available for the deep coal mine industry in 2004–05; and how much such support he has made available in the 2005–06 financial year.

Malcolm Wicks: Some £21.4 million of Coal Investment Aid was paid to UK deep mines in 2004–05.
	A further £35.7 million remains available, of which we expect to pay claims of about £24 million in 2005–06.

Nuclear Power

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of nuclear power in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State so moments ago to the hon. Members for Hexham and Tomes.

Windfarms

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to support new and emerging renewable technologies other than onshore windfarms.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are providing just over £500 million of support between 2002–08 to help develop emerging renewable and low carbon technologies. This will take the form of spending on R and D and funding for capital grants. Onshore wind is not eligible for capital grants, except in the case of small community schemes supported under Clear Skies.
	Funding includes grants of £117 million for offshore wind, over £60 million for energy crops and biomass, £31 million for PV, £12.5 million for community schemes and as announced last year, £50 million for the setting up of a Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.
	On 14 June, I announced a £40 million—four year funding package to support demonstrations of carbon abatement technologies (£25 million) and hydrogen and fuel cell technologies (£15 million).
	Total public expenditure on research and development for renewable energy sources for 2003–04 was estimated at over £29 million.

Windfarms

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the (a) benefits and (b) disadvantages of wind farms as a renewable energy source; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department receives a great many representations regarding wind farms setting out both the advantages and disadvantages of specific wind farm projects.

Equal Opportunities Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims of (a) racial discrimination, (b) sexual discrimination, (c) disability discrimination and (d) multiple discrimination have been made by staff of the Equal Opportunities Commission against the commission in each of the last 10 years.

Meg Munn: The EOC have had three claims for sex discrimination brought against them by staff in the past 10 years. These have been in 1998, 2000 and 2001. No other claims have been made.

Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential for job creation from the steps the Government is taking to promote renewable energy.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI's Renewables 2010 Target Team conducted a detailed survey of job opportunities in the renewable energy sector in 2003. The Renewables Supply Chain Gap Analysis estimated that up to 8,000 people are currently employed in this industry, with the potential for this to rise to around 35,000 over the longer term.

Hotelware Exports

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the World Trade Organisation on reducing tariffs on exports of hotelware to the USA.

Ian Pearson: US tariffs on imports of hotelware will be addressed in the negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products currently taking place at the World Trade Organisation as part of Doha Development Agenda. In these talks the EU maintains regular contact with other WTO members including the US.

Manufacturing Support

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support the Government is making available for manufacturing industry in (a) the City of Durham and (b) England.

Alun Michael: Since the Manufacturing Strategy was implemented in 2002 the Government has made available a wide range of support to improve the performance of manufacturing industry.
	(a) Businesses in the City of Durham are eligible to apply for a range of Department of Trade and Industry assistance schemes including Selective Finance for Investment and Grant for Research and Development. The Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast is funding several initiatives, including new business parks, which will provide modern facilities for new and manufacturing businesses. In addition The North East Productivity Alliance (NEPA) has successfully assisted a number of individuals and companies to enhance engineering expertise leading to significant productivity improvements.
	(b) In England we have set up a Manufacturing Advisory Service in every region and supported the establishment of 14 Industry Forum organisations. We have doubled support for science and innovation so that businesses may draw on the strong UK science base for commercial advantage and have simplified business support into four themes reflecting the areas in which companies are most likely to need help: innovation, best practice, raising finance and regional investment.

Average Pay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of average full-time workers' pay in the South West Region in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 21 June 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning average full time workers' pay in the South West region in the last year for which figures are available: broken down by (a) Local Authority area and (b) Parliamentary Constituency. I am replying in his absence. (2838)
	Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period, by their place of work. This is the standard definition used for Annual Survey of Hours and Earning tables. The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I am placing in the House of Commons Library, tables showing the average gross weekly earnings for full time employees in the South West region broken down by Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency. This data is also available on the National Statistics website on tables 7 and 9 respectively: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=13290&More=n
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It has a one per cent sample of all employees.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings publication criteria ensure that all estimates are undisclosive. A number of estimates have been removed from the published tables for these reasons.
	
		Table 1: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in the South West Government Office Region, 2004
		
			  Weekly pay including overtime 
			  Jobs (thousand) CV (percentage)(15) Median CV (percentage)(15) Mean CV (percentage)(15) 
		
		
			 South West 1,332 (16)1.2 393.0 (16)1.0 462.7 (16)0.8 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in South West Parliamentary Constituencies, 2004
		
			  Weekly pay including overtime 
			  Jobs (thousand) CV (percentage)(15) Median CV (percentage)(15) Mean CV (percentage)(15) 
		
		
			 Bath 40 (16)7.2 416.5 (16)6.8 476.8 (16)4.3 
			 Bournemouth East 14 (16)12.1 293.8 (16)10.0 377.5 (16)7.2 
			 Bournemouth West 26 (16)8.8 334.3 (16)7.5 416.3 (16)5.7 
			 Bridgwater 21 (16)9.7 358.5 (16)8.9 446.0 (16)6.9 
			 Bristol East 58 (16)6.0 429.5 (16)5.7 508.8 (16)3.2 
			 Bristol North West 49 (16)6.3 500.1 (16)4.8 561.2 (16)3.4 
			 Bristol South 20 (16)10.3 383.7 (16)10.0 425.7 (16)4.8 
			 Bristol West 53 (16)6.1 444.4 (16)6.0 515.8 (16)3.8 
			 Cheltenham 29 (16)8.4 428.1 (16)8.1 548.0 (16)7.9 
			 Christchurch 21 (16)9.9 429.0 (16)7.9 486.9 (16)5.5 
			 Cotswold 20 (16)9.9 422.1 (16)10.0 473.3 (16)5.3 
			 Devizes 19 (16)9.9 355.5 (16)8.2 418.9 (16)5.9 
			 East Devon 10 (16)13.9 355.8 (16)11.0 386.0 (16)6.4 
			 Exeter 58 (16)5.9 411.9 (16)5.1 449.1 (16)3.0 
			 Falmouth and Camborne 18 (16)10.6 320.5 (16)7.4 367.4 (16)4.4 
			 Forest of Dean 16 (16)11.8 380.6 (16)8.1 481.9 (16)13.0 
			 Gloucester 42 (16)7.0 416.9 (16)7.2 469.9 (16)3.7 
			 Kingswood 16 (16)11.2 433.3 (16)8.9 487.6 (16)6.2 
			 Mid Dorset and North Poole 13 (16)12.4 305.5 (16)16.0 401.3 (16)6.4 
			 North Cornwall 22 (16)9.9 325.9 (16)11.0 384.5 (16)5.8 
			 North Devon 22 (16)9.3 342.9 (16)6.9 449.3 (16)7.5 
			 North Dorset 22 (16)9.7 386.9 (16)10.0 429.7 (16)4.2 
			 North Swindon 27 (16)8.6 430.5 (16)6.3 516.5 (16)5.3 
			 North Wiltshire 28 (16)8.4 432.6 (16)7.3 522.8 (16)6.2 
			 Northavon 38 (16)7.2 399.1 (16)7.9 503.2 (16)5.7 
			 Plymouth, Devonport 25 (16)8.8 412.2 (16)6.9 470.0 (16)4.9 
			 Plymouth, Sutton 35 (16)7.5 406.3 (16)7.3 456.4 (16)3.8 
			 Poole 32 (16)7.7 420.2 (16)7.7 529.4 (16)5.2 
			 Salisbury 32 (16)7.8 380.2 (16)7.2 432.0 (16)4.0 
			 Somerton and Frome 20 (16)10.0 356.3 (16)6.6 422.6 (16)5.2 
			 South Dorset 18 (16)10.6 325.7 (16)11.0 390.3 (16)5.0 
			 South East Cornwall 14 (16)11.6 338.4 (16)11.0 382.2 (16)5.7 
			 South Swindon 56 (16)5.9 474.0 (16)5.2 560.9 (16)4.1 
			 South West Devon 18 (16)10.3 358.8 (16)7.7 407.4 (16)5.2 
			 St. Ives 13 (16)12.5 310.5 (16)12.0 378.1 (16)8.2 
			 Stroud 22 (16)9.7 394.2 (16)6.4 434.8 (16)4.8 
			 Taunton 36 (16)7.3 376.7 (16)7.0 424.1 (16)3.3 
			 Teignbridge 20 (16)9.8 355.7 (16)9.4 374.5 (16)4.1 
			 Tewkesbury 26 (16)8.6 414.5 (16)5.1 478.8 (16)5.1 
			 Tiverton and Honiton 22 (16)9.4 370 (16)7.8 414.7 (16)4.8 
			 Torbay 19 (16)10.6 325.5 (16)8.6 416.9 (16)7.5 
			 Torridge and West Devon 16 (16)11.1 326.5 (16)11 363.4 (16)5.4 
			 Totnes 14 (16)12.1 328 (16)8.6 367.9 (16)5.5 
			 Truro and St. Austell 31 (16)8 347.8 (16)5.9 419.1 (16)5.6 
			 Wansdyke 15 (16)11.8 365.8 (16)12 448 (16)6.8 
			 Wells 21 (16)9.8 351.3 (16)8.5 420.5 (16)5.2 
			 West Dorset 26 (16)9.3 373.6 (16)7.7 424.5 (16)4.3 
			 Westbury 26 (16)8.8 370.4 (16)9.3 448.9 (16)6.2 
			 Weston-Super-Mare 18 (16)10.8 356 (16)12 413.7 (16)5.3 
			 Woodspring 26 (16)8.7 462.5 (16)6.8 566.3 (16)8.9 
			 Yeovil 34 (16)7.6 410.5 (16)7.4 472.1 (16)4 
		
	
	
		Table 3: Mean and median weekly pay, including overtime, for full-time employees in South West local authorities, 2004
		
			  Weekly pay including overtime 
			  Jobs (thousand) CV (percentage)(15) Median CV (percentage)(15) Mean CV (percentage)(15) 
		
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 53 (16)6.2 405.8 (16)6.3 472.0 (16)3.8 
			 Bristol, City of UA 149 (16)3.7 429.4 (16)4.2 498.0 (16)2.1 
			 North Somerset UA 44 (16)6.8 423.7 (16)6.0 503.7 (16)6.2 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 85 (16)4.8 453.9 (16)4.6 533.7 (16)3.1 
			 Plymouth UA 68 (16)5.3 401.7 (16)4.9 453.0 (16)2.8 
			 Torbay UA 24 (16)9.3 325.4 (16)7.8 399.7 (16)6.3 
			 Bournemouth UA 39 (16)7.1 330.1 (16)6.1 402.7 (16)4.5 
			 Poole UA 42 (16)6.8 405.2 (16)7.2 501.1 (16)4.5 
			 Swindon UA 82 (16)4.9 457.5 (16)4.1 546.7 (16)3.3 
			 Cornwall 98 (16)4.5 329.5 (16)4.0 391.3 (16)2.8 
			 Caradon 11 (16)13.3 324.0 (16)13.0 372.2 (16)6.5 
			 Carrick 26 (16)8.8 333.7 (16)8.0 422.7 (16)6.5 
			 Kerrier 16 (16)11.1 335.8 (16)8.3 399.7 (16)6.2 
			 North Cornwall 17 (16)11.6 328.6 (16)11.0 369.9 (16)5.9 
			 Penwith 8 (16)15.8 298.2 (16)12.0 346.0 (16)8.5 
			 Restormel 21 (16)9.7 336.1 (16)7.1 391.6 (16)5.6 
			 Isles of Scilly (17)— — — — — — 
			 Devon 166 (16)3.4 367.5 (16)3.0 418.7 (16)1.9 
			 East Devon 21 (16)9.5 375.3 (16)7.3 419.2 (16)4.9 
			 Exeter 58 (16)5.9 411.9 (16)5.1 449.1 (16)3.0 
			 Mid Devon 11 (16)13.5 339.1 (16)11.0 377.8 (16)5.8 
			 North Devon 22 (16)9.4 342.8 (16)7.0 451.5 (16)7.6 
			 South Hams 15 (16)11.3 332.7 (16)9.2 396.3 (16)6.0 
			 Teignbridge 23 (16)9.3 356.6 (16)7.9 385.4 (16)4.0 
			 Torridge 11 (16)13.7 304.5 (16)16.0 358.2 (16)7.3 
			 West Devon 6 (16)18.4 360.0 (16)14.0 373.9 (16)6.7 
			 Dorset 89 (16)4.8 382.0 (16)4.1 432.5 (16)2.4 
			 Christchurch 13 (16)12.8 435.7 (16)11.0 503.2 (16)7.3 
			 East Dorset 19 (16)10.4 431.9 (16)9.8 461.9 (16)4.9 
			 North Dorset 11 (16)13.2 346.0 (16)12.0 386.7 (16)5.6 
			 Purbeck 9 (16)14.7 354.4 (16)14.0 429.6 (16)7.3 
			 West Dorset 26 (16)9.3 372.1 (16)7.8 422.8 (16)4.3 
			 Weymouth and Portland 11 (16)13.6 310.7 (16)12.0 369.4 (16)6.1 
			 Gloucestershire 156 (16)3.6 410.5 (16)2.7 482.6 (16)2.7 
			 Cheltenham 32 (16)8.0 426.4 (16)6.6 540.1 (16)7.3 
			 Cotswold 17 (16)10.7 410.4 (16)10.0 468.5 (16)5.8 
			 Forest of Dean 16 (16)12.0 379.9 (16)8.3 484.5 (16)13.0 
			 Gloucester 42 (16)7 416.9 (16)7.2 469.9 (16)3.7 
			 Stroud 25 (16)9.2 404.9 (16)6 442.2 (16)4.6 
			 Tewkesbury 24 (16)9.1 415.9 (16)5.5 478.8 (16)5.4 
			 Somerset 132 (16)3.8 377.9 (16)3.5 439.2 (16)2.1 
			 Mendip 21 (16)9.7 364.4 (16)7.1 432.8 (16)5.3 
			 Sedgemoor 22 (16)9.5 348.4 (16)8.8 428.8 (16)6.4 
			 South Somerset 46 (16)6.4 394 (16)6.3 455.8 (16)3.4 
			 Taunton Deane 36 (16)7.3 376.6 (16)7 424.8 (16)3.3 
			 West Somerset 6 (16)18.1 (18)— (16)24 458.8 (16)13 
			 Wiltshire 105 (16)4.3 389.5 (16)4.3 458.4 (16)2.9 
			 Kennet 13 (16)11.9 355.6 (16)9.4 416.7 (16)7.7 
			 North Wiltshire 30 (16)8.1 429.9 (16)7 514.7 (16)5.9 
			 Salisbury 33 (16)7.8 379.1 (16)7.6 431 (16)4 
			 West Wiltshire 30 (16)8.2 370.9 (16)8.2 450.8 (16)5.6 
		
	
	(15) Coefficient of Variation—measure of the deviation of a variable from its mean.
	(16) Key to quality:
	CV < = 5 per cent.
	CV > 5 per cent. and < = 10 per cent.
	CV > 10 per cent. and < = 20 per cent.
	(17) = not applicable
	(18) = unreliable
	. = unavailable
	.. = disclosive
	- = nil or negligible
	Notes:
	(a) The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, (ASHE), carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a 1 per cent. sample of all employees.
	(b) The ASHE replaces the New Earnings Survey (NES) from October 2004. The main difference between the ASHE and NES being that estimates are weighted to population totals from the Labour Force Survey.
	(c) Average gross weekly earnings for Adult Full-Time Employees whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
	Source :
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS
	The tables provide means and medians for full-time employees in the South West, South West local authorities and South West parliamentary constituencies.

Coal Health Claims

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to the Coal Authority about its website directing coal health claimants to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 June 2005
	The Department were unaware that the Coal Authority website directed former miners to the UDM. We have now asked the Authority to change the site, directing claimants to contact their legal representative, if they already have a claim submitted, and, if they have not already submitted a claim, to contact a local solicitor, their former union or their local citizens' advice bureau for specific advice on their eligibility to claim.

Coal Health Claims

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid in total to solicitors for unsuccessful claims under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger miners' compensation scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: Solicitors costs have only been paid in relation to claims in which compensation has been paid to the claimant.

Coal Health Claims

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department have taken as a consequence of receiving information about Indiclaim Ltd. and Walker and Co. Claims Management.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is aware of concerns relating to the two companies. However, we cannot comment on ongoing inquires.

Corporate Social Responsibility

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has spent on corporate social responsibility initiatives since January 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI spend on Corporate Social Responsibility for relevant financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2003–04 330,000. 
			 2004–05 369,000. 
			 2005–06 (19)91,000 
		
	
	(19) To date.

Corporate Social Responsibility

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition of corporate social responsibility his Department uses; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's website on Corporate Social Responsibility—www.csr.gov.uk—sets out the definition which we use for CSR which is about how business takes account of its economic, social and environmental impacts in the way it operates.

Departmental Name

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which external organisations were involved in the proposal to change the name of his Department.

Alan Johnson: None.

Departmental Payment Performance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the overall payment performance was of each Government Department in the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The overall payment performance of Government Departments has increased over the last three years for which figures are available, from 95.86 per cent. in 2000–01 to 96.68 per cent. in 2003–04, as the following table illustrates. Figures for 2004–05 have not yet been published.
	The Government takes this issue very seriously, and is committed to improving the payment culture in the UK, in order to create fair and stable business transactions. The Government's own payment performance is an important element in this policy.
	
		
			  Percentage paid on time 
			 Comparison of main departments in alphabetical order  2001–02  2002–03  2003–04 
		
		
			 Cabinet Office (OPS) 95.15 96.21 97.79 
			 Central Office of Information — — 95.54 
			 Charity Commission 91.1 98.24 97.49 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 93.69 90.42 80.55 
			 Defence Bills Agency (Ministry of Defence) 100 100.00 100.00 
			 DEFRA 86.99 91.43 94.61 
			 Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Chancellor's Department) 95.14 95.43 91.43 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 99.05 99.09 99.34 
			 Department for Education and Skills 95.09 94.52 95.43 
			 Department for International Development 96.62 96.52 96.26 
			 Department for National Savings and Investments 96.9 94.43 92.14 
			 Department for Transport — 91.96 94.87 
			 Department of Health 94.97 94.46 95.88 
			 Department of Trade and Industry 97.68 97.20 93.60 
			 DTLR 98.28 — — 
			 Department of Work and Pensions 93.01 92.30 94.96 
			 Electoral Commission — 97.84 94.86 
			 Export Credit Guarantee Department 97.94 98.76 98.72 
			 Food Standards Agency 93.88 96.00 96.33 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 96.39 92.46 97.95 
			 Forestry Commission 96.73 96.75 96.26 
			 Government Actuary's Department 98.57 99.17 66.64 
			 Government Communications HQ — 83.98 90.08 
			 Health and Safety Executive 98.86 98.95 98.85 
			 HM Customs and Excise 97.38 98.13 98.60 
			 HM Treasury 98.74 84.06 80.91 
			 Some Office 94.58 88.64 89.90 
			 Inland Revenue 98.90 99.35 99.07 
			 Land Registry 99.07 99.21 89.13 
			 National Investment and Loans Office 100 — — 
			 Northern Ireland Court Service — 96.23 97.32 
			 Northern Ireland Office 93.81 85.16 86.23 
			 Office for Government Commerce 93.29 96.28 99.97 
			 Office for National Statistics 98.30 97.97 98.12 
			 Office for Standards in Education 88.61 94.76 94.09 
			 Office of Fair Trading 92.65 94.20 96.51 
			 Office of Gas and Electricity Mkts (OFGEM) 87.72 89.54 99.30 
			 Office of Telecommunications 99.30 99.21 — 
			 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister — 96.72 98.14 
			 Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioners — 96.88 — 
			 Office of the Rail Regulator 98.71 95.69 88.01 
			 Office of Water Services (OFWAT) 99.45 99.72 99.43 
			 Ordnance Survey 97.84 97.53 97.11 
			 Privy Council Office 99.70 100.00 100.00 
			 Registers of Scotland Executive Agency — — 99.73 
			 Royal Mint 88.25 90.57 91.39 
			 Scotland Office (Department for Constitutional Affairs) 99.51 92.24 96.84 
			 Serious Fraud Office 91.29 92.77 92.28 
			 The National Archives (Public Records Office) 99.14 99.17 99.26 
			 UK Trade and Investment — — 88.80 
			 Treasury Solicitors Department 96.50 98.13 92.62 
			 Wales Office 86.67 88.48 96.03 
			 Overall Total 95.86 95.04 96.68

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of his Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the South East.

Alan Johnson: None of the Department's posts have been relocated from London to deprived areas of the South East in the recent past and there are no such posts under consideration for such relocation at the present time.

Domestic Energy Costs

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the relative external costs per kWh consumed by domestic use of (a) coal, (b) oil, (c) gas, (d) electricity and (e) liquified petroleum gas.

Malcolm Wicks: Figures on the cost per kWh of the above fuels are either available from the DTI or from Salkent's Comparative Heating Costs publication. The prices, sources and time period they correspond to are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Price (p/kWh) Time period data refers to Source 
		
		
			 a. Coal 15.6 May 2005 DTI estimates based on Salkent data 
			 b. Heating oil 22.2 May 2005 DTI estimates based on Salkent data 
			 c. Gas 1.7 January 2005 DTI 
			 d. Electricity 7.4 January 2005 DTI 
			 e. LPG 33.3 May 2005 DTI estimates based on Salkent data 
		
	
	(20) DTI data for April 2005 will be published in the June edition of Quarterly Energy Prices, due out on 30 June 2005.
	(21) The base Salkent data is contained in their Comparative Heating Costs publication, May 2005 edition and corresponds to May 2005. The Comparative Heating Costs have been published since 1976 and are widely used as a guide to the running cost of space and water heating using alternative fuels at current prices.

ECGD

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 79W, on Export Credits Guarantee Department, when he expects to reach a settlement with the plaintiffs.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 21 June 2005
	Given that the parties are at the early stages of the detailed costs assessment process, ECGD is not currently in a position to forecast with certainty when settlement is likely to be reached.

ECGD

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 78W, on Export Credits Guarantee Department, when he expects the ECGD Pilot Trading Fund to be undertaken.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 21 June 2005
	ECGD will undertake a process of continual review of the operation of the pilot trading fund. This will feed into my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's consideration and a final decision is expected in the second year of the pilot period, towards the end of 2006 or early 2007.

European Space Policy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures have been agreed in June 2005 to develop a European Space Policy.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Space Policy (ESP) is being developed jointly by the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA) as the framework for managing space activities. The legal basis is Article 8 of the EC—ESA Framework Agreement. On 7 June the second of three EU/ESA Ministerial Space Councils approved an Orientations Paper on priorities. The UK Government has instilled a user/applications focus in it. Funding decisions will follow from the normal EU and ESA budgetary processes.

Gas Turbines

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what capacity of combined cycle gas turbines has been contracted for the period 2004–05 to 2010–11; and what percentage he estimates will be commissioned by 2012.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of contracted generation, under various scenarios, can be found in National Grid's 2005 Seven Year Statement, and in particular Tables 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3, depending on the scenario utilised: http:// www.nationalgrid.com/uk/library/documents/sys05/default.asp?action=mnch5_2.htm&Node=SYS& Snode=5_2&Exp=Y#Plant_Margins_On_Different_ Generation_Backgrounds

Loan Sharks

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to protect vulnerable people from loan sharks.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are funding pilot projects in Birmingham and Glasgow to tackle loan sharks. This will enable Trading Standards to investigate and prosecute illegal lenders in these areas. It will also help gain a clearer understanding of the scope, extent and impact of illegal money lending. The project is already showing results with prosecutions in progress in both areas.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases have been submitted under the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and Vendside agreement for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 June 2005
	The number of cases received under the Union of Democratic Mineworkers/Vendside agreement are as follows:
	
		
			  Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasel Vibration white finger 
		
		
			 1999 2,841 4,595 
			 2000 6,418 10,422 
			 2001 4,740 5,137 
			 2002 4,123 5,747 
			 2003 5,648 451 
			 2004 3,916 24 
			 2005 0 1 
			 Total claims 27,686 26,377 
		
	
	l Claim receipts are those claims that are fully registered, i.e. excludes pool of claims accepted with minimum data, awaiting further information to permit cross referencing and duplicate checks prior to full registration.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department expects to agree compensation for miners who were engaged in salvage work at Firbeck colliery for less than six weeks in 1968.

Malcolm Wicks: Salvage work is not an occupation on the list contained in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Claims Handling Agreement (CHA) as agreed between the Department and the claimants' representatives.
	As a non-CHA occupation the dust exposure and relevant job factor for salvage workers have been assessed by the jointly appointed Dust Reference Panel. Salvage workers who were employed prior to the closure of collieries were incorporated into the dust model calculator in December 2003. For salvage workers who worked in collieries post closure, the model was amended earlier this year and is currently being tested.

Ministerial Visits

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Ministers from his Department will be attending the Defence Systems and Equipment International Exhibition in September.

Malcolm Wicks: No DTI Ministers have as yet been invited to attend the 2005 Defence Systems and Equipment International Exhibition.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Classroom Behaviour

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance her Department is giving to schools in Coventry South constituency to promote good behaviour in the classroom.

Jacqui Smith: Our secondary strategy gives all secondary schools in Coventry access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and support from a DfES-funded behaviour management consultant. Our primary strategy is giving all primary schools access to high-quality training and curriculum materials to improve children's social, emotional and behavioural skills.
	In addition:
	Our Excellence in Cities programme provides Coventry with extra funding (£3.2 million this year), about half of which can be used to fund Learning Mentors and Learning Support Units to support pupils with challenging behaviour and their schools. Seven of the current EiC schools are in Coventry South. All the secondary schools in the constituency will benefit from EiC funding from this September.
	Our Behaviour Improvement Programme provides Coventry with further additional funding (£1.5 million this year) to support selected schools facing the greatest behaviour challenges. Three of these schools are in the Coventry South constituency.

Connexions Service

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received on the winding up of the Connexions Service; and what her responses to those representations have been.

Maria Eagle: Following speculation in the press about the future of the Connexions Service, my Department have received a number of letters in support of Connexions from young people, Connexions personal advisers, Connexions chief executives and board members, MPs and many other professionals. Some of these letters have resulted in discussions with a Minister or senior officials.
	My Department's response have been to acknowledge the success of Connexions, while recognising that a report by the National Audit Office published in March 2004 found that it was not clear what the roles of schools and Connexions were in providing careers advice and guidance to young people. We have also recognised that there are multiple and overlapping initiatives for young people at risk which can be confusing for young people and their parents.
	Our proposals for improving support to young people, particularly those who are at risk, will be set out in a Youth Green Paper which will be published in due course. We have encouraged all those who have made representations to take the opportunity to respond to the Green Paper once it is published.

Consultants

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department spent on consultants in (a) the last 12 months, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Education and Skills spent the following sums from administration costs for the periods in question (a) £3.8 million in the last 12 months; (b) £4.7 million in 2003–04 and (c) £3.9 million in 2004–05. The total cost of consultants charged to programmes from November to March 2004–05 was £4.4 million. The cost charged to programmes before November 2004 is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of her Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the south east.

Maria Eagle: My Department, our non-departmental public bodies and Ofsted are, together, implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate around 800 posts out of London and the South East by 2010. So far, my Department had not identified any posts suitable for transfer to deprived areas in the South East.

Faith Schools

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many faith schools have been established in England since 1997; and how many she expects to be established in the next five years.

Jacqui Smith: There have been 145 voluntary aided schools (schools within which the majority of governors are appointed by the faith body) opened in England since 1997 (of these one closed in 1998 and two closed in 2001), with a further 31 proposals received for the next five years. Faith schools can be proposed by promoters at any time and, as such, the Department is currently only aware of schools proposed up to 2007.
	There have also been some 48 voluntary controlled schools (schools within which the majority of governors are appointed by the local education authority and have a strong link to the faith body) opened since 1997, with a further 21 proposals received for the period to 2007.

Further and Higher Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will assess the likely effect of the spending priorities set out in the Skills Strategy on the practice of further education providers waiving adult education fees on a discretionary basis.

Bill Rammell: The Skills Strategy clearly set out the need to rebalance the contributions of employers, individuals and the public purse towards the costs of learning. We have been clear about our priorities of a place in school, college or an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Within an overall increased budget, these will be the focus for public funding. We will continue to provide fee concessions arrangements for learners on means tested benefits to access FE but we expect colleges to increase their total fee income, including collecting the income they currently chose to waive at their own discretion. These are not just technical funding changes. They are the first step in a necessary change of culture and expectations, where the value of learning and the benefits it brings to learners and to employers is properly recognised as a worthwhile and necessary investment.

Further and Higher Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time students with dependants there were in higher education institutions in England in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Bill Rammell: Data are not available on the number of students with dependants.
	However, data are available on the number of full-time students receiving a dependants' grant and are shown in the table.
	
		Students domiciled in England and Wales at UK institutions(22) in receipt of at least one dependants' grant in academic years 1999/2000(23) to2003/04(24)
		
			 Academic year Number(25) 
		
		
			 1999/2000 15,500 
			 2000/01 20,400 
			 2001/02 23,900 
			 2002/03 24,300 
			 2003/04 27,900 
		
	
	(22) Data are not available for English institutions only.
	(23) Earliest year for which data are available.
	(24) Latest academic year for which data are available.
	(25) Rounded to the nearest 100.
	Source:
	F503G Survey of Local Education Authorities and SLC
	The 2004/05 Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES) should provide us with the proportion of students, both full-time and part-time, who have dependants. Unfortunately, the coverage of the most recent SIES, 2002/03, was limited to full-time students without children and cannot provide us with this information. Part-time students are not eligible to receive dependants' grants, therefore no data are available.

Jarvis plc

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the private finance initiative contracts that exist between (a) schools and (b) other education institutions and Jarvis plc.

Jacqui Smith: The following lists include the PFI contracts which were signed between Jarvis and individual schools, and those between Jarvis and local authorities for groups of schools. There were no PFI projects signed with Jarvis in the further education and children's services sectors. The Department does not hold information on the PFI contracts of higher education institutions.
	Contract signed with school
	Cardinal Heenan VA School, Leeds
	Barnhill Community School, Hillingdon
	JFS School, Brent
	Contract signed with local authority
	Brighton and Hove, grouped schools
	Croydon, Ashburton School
	Dorset, Colfox School
	East Riding of Yorkshire, grouped schools
	Essex, Debden Park School
	Haringey, grouped schools
	Kirklees, grouped schools
	Liverpool, grouped schools
	Richmond upon Thames, grouped schools
	Salford, grouped schools
	Sunderland, Sandhill Learning Centre
	Torbay, grouped schools
	Wirral, grouped schools

Looked-after Children

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of looked-after children aged under two years experienced three or more changes of accommodation in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: At 31 March 2004 5,200 children were looked-after aged under two years. Of these, 640 (12 per cent.) had experienced three or more placements in the year ending 31 March 2004. These figures exclude children looked-after under an agreed series of short term placements.

Multiplication

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, to question ref. 4432, on multiplication facts, whether there is a requirement in the Framework for Teaching Mathematics: Reception to Year 6 documents for children to learn their multiplication tables by heart.

Jacqui Smith: The Framework for Teaching Mathematics sets the objective that all children learn by heart all multiplication tables up to 10 x 10.

Nutrition

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many registered (a) nutritionists and (b) dieticians she employs within her Department.

Maria Eagle: We do not hold information centrally on numbers of staff who are registered nutritionists or dieticians. None are employed specifically to work on policies relating to food, for example school meals. The Department draws upon expertise in the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health where advice on nutrition and diet is needed, and commissions work from external experts (for example those currently members of the School Meals Review Panel).

Overseas Students

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the number of overseas students from EU member states attending university in Coventry South constituency.

Bill Rammell: The constituency of Coventry, South contains the University of Coventry and Warwick university. The latest available information is given in the table:
	
		EU domiciled enrolments at HE institutions in Coventry, South constituency 2003–04
		
			  Institution 
			 Domicile Coventry university University of Warwick 
		
		
			 Austria 5 50 
			 Belgium (26)— 80 
			 Denmark 15 40 
			 Finland 10 25 
			 France 325 145 
			 Germany 60 275 
			 Gibraltar 5 5 
			 Greece 295 245 
			 Irish Republic 55 75 
			 Italy 20 120 
			 Luxembourg 5 30 
			 Netherlands 5 70 
			 Portugal 15 45 
			 Spain 70 70 
			 Sweden 10 180 
			 Cyprus 30 135 
			 Czech Republic (26)— 15 
			 Hungary 0 15 
			 Malta (26)— 15 
			 Poland 10 40 
			 Estonia 0 (26)— 
			 Latvia 0 5 
			 Lithuania 0 5 
			 Slovenia 0 (26)— 
			 Slovakia (26)— 5 
		
	
	(26) Signifies a number greater than zero but less than three.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Private Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private schools there are in Coventry, South constituency.

Jacqui Smith: Provisional data as at January 2005 indicate that there are six independent schools in Coventry, South parliamentary constituency.

School Meals

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance she expects the public sector will provide to the work of the School Meals Trust.

Jacqui Smith: Both public and private sectors have welcomed our proposals to set up the School Food Trust (SFT). It will give independent support and advice to schools and parents to improve the standard of school meals, working with the food industry, caterers, nutritionists, food interest groups and the public sector. We have already announced financial support of £5 million per year for the SFT for the next three years. My Department will assist the SFT in establishing itself, will agree an annual business plan in relation to the grant it receives from DFES, and work closely with it to ensure that our respective work programmes are complementary.

Schoolchildren (Gloucestershire)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in each school in Gloucestershire live in another local authority.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested at school level has been made available in the House of Commons Library. Summary information showing the home LEAs of pupils attending schools in Gloucestershire is provided in the following table.
	
		Pupils attending schools in Gloucestershire residing outside of authority
		
			  Number of pupils Percentage of pupils 
		
		
			 Pupils attending schools in Gloucestershire 86,043 100.0 
			
			 Residing authority   
			 Gloucestershire 82,807 96.2 
			 City of Bristol 6 (27)— 
			 Herefordshire 218 0.3 
			 Monmouthshire 396 0.5 
			 Newport 18 (27)— 
			 North Somerset 5 (27)— 
			 Oxfordshire 148 0.2 
			 South Gloucestershire 726 0.8 
			 Swindon 219 0.3 
			 Unknown/not given 363 0.4 
			 Warwickshire 334 0.4 
			 Wiltshire 351 0.4 
			 Worcestershire 443 0.5 
			 Other LEAs 9 (27)— 
			
			 Total residing outside of authority 3,236 3.8 
		
	
	(27) Denotes percentage of less than 0.05 per cent.
	Source:
	PLASC 2005 provisional data

Schools Provision (Lancashire)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding is being made available for the expansion of schools provision in Lancashire.

Jacqui Smith: In 2005–06 recurrent funding through the schools formula spending share has increased in Lancashire by 7.0 per cent. per pupil and its total SFSS has risen to £555.1 million. The funding that individual schools receive is a matter for the local authority through its locally agreed funding formula.
	As far as schools capital funding is concerned, £31.2 million has been allocated to Lancashire local authority and schools for the year 2005–06. Indicative allocations of £35.6 million and £37.2 million have been made for the years 2006–07 and 2007–08 respectively. These allocations will be utilised in accordance with the local authority and schools' asset management plans, taking account of changes in school population within the local authority area.

Special Needs/Schools

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special needs (a) assistants and (b) teachers there were in London in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number teachers employed solely as special needs teachers is not collected centrally.
	Information on special needs teaching assistants in service is collected in January of each year. The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of special needs assistants in each London local education authority in each January since 1997.
	
		Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools, special schools(28) and pupil referral units: full-time equivalent number of special needs support staff
		
			  Position as at January each year 
			 Each London local education authority 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 (29)2005 
		
		
			 London 2,660 2,780 3,350 3,800 4,720 6,340 6,240 6,590 7,120 
			   
			 Inner London 990 1,020 1,220 1,390 1,820 2,370 2,250 2,380 2,480 
			 Camden 90 90 80 80 90 160 150 170 200 
			 City of London (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— (30)— 
			 Hackney 40 50 80 80 100 180 190 220 230 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 40 70 70 60 130 120 130 130 
			 Haringey 50 40 30 30 80 150 210 230 250 
			 Islington 80 60 70 80 90 190 130 110 70 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 40 50 50 60 70 60 90 80 90 
			 Lambeth 100 100 120 150 180 230 180 150 130 
			 Lewisham 120 110 140 140 160 80 90 100 110 
			 Newham 100 120 170 240 360 440 340 340 280 
			 Southwark 140 160 170 200 260 240 250 260 290 
			 Tower Hamlets 100 110 140 150 230 240 190 200 210 
			 Wandsworth 50 70 70 70 90 180 210 260 370 
			 Westminster 30 20 30 30 30 80 80 110 110 
			   
			 Outer London 1,670 1,760 2,140 2,420 2,900 3,970 3,990 4,210 4,640 
			 Barking and Dagenham 140 130 140 140 150 200 240 260 210 
			 Barnet 120 130 180 220 260 350 320 300 350 
			 Bexley 90 100 130 150 170 220 240 240 240 
			 Brent 50 70 110 110 110 140 140 190 200 
			 Bromley 110 110 110 130 170 280 270 300 280 
			 Croydon 110 120 170 190 250 220 220 210 210 
			 Ealing 80 70 90 100 150 210 230 210 220 
			 Enfield 70 70 90 110 130 230 230 220 280 
			 Greenwich 90 110 120 160 190 360 310 330 410 
			 Harrow 160 160 180 190 190 190 240 260 260 
			 Havering 90 80 100 110 130 170 180 190 220 
			 Hillingdon 140 150 170 180 210 190 200 220 240 
			 Hounslow 50 60 70 100 110 150 160 180 190 
			 Kingston upon Thames 30 30 40 50 50 110 110 160 180 
			 Merton 80 90 110 120 140 140 160 180 210 
			 Redbridge 60 80 80 120 150 310 280 270 360 
			 Richmond upon Thames 40 40 40 50 60 70 80 100 110 
			 Sutton 50 60 90 110 120 170 140 150 160 
			 Waltham Forest 90 100 110 120 140 250 260 250 330 
		
	
	(28) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(29) Provisional
	(30) Nil or less than 5.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual School Census

Special Needs/Schools

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what form the Government's audit of special schools will take; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The audit is being undertaken by the Special Needs Consultancy on behalf of the Department. The aims of the Audit are to:
	Establish how local authorities meet the needs of the children in their authority with low incidence SEN.
	Explore gaps in services, support and provision, and how these gaps can be/are being addressed.
	Use the above to support and inform policy and practice development for regional and local planning and provision so that more pupils have their needs met locally.
	Help develop thinking around regional centres of expertise.
	Identify local, regional and national centres of good practice and expertise, especially those with the potential for enhancing their role to provide advice and/or support to schools.
	The audit is being conducted using findings from a piloting stage. Questionnaires have been issued to all local authorities. Responses are being received and followed up. Regional focus groups have been established and are now working to gather information and offer advice on specialist services, support and provision provided by local authorities and health as well as the non-maintained, private and voluntary sectors.

Student Debt

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) the total amount of debt incurred by UK students studying at English universities, (b) the mean amount of such debt and (c) the median amount of such debt was for each year since 1996; and what estimate she has made of these figures for each year until 2010.

Bill Rammell: The table shows the student loan amount outstanding for publicly-owned debt in the UK, at the end of each financial year specified.
	
		
			 Financial year Amount outstanding (£ million) 
		
		
			 1995–96 1,859.0 
			 1996–97 2,691.0 
			 1997–98 3,574.3 
			 1998–99 3,591.9 
			 1999–2000 3,992.5 
			 2000–01 6,043.2 
			 2001–02 8,394.0 
			 2002–03 10,827.5 
			 2003–04 13,364.2 
		
	
	Source:
	Student Loans Company
	Data are not available centrally for UK students at English universities.
	The latest Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2002/03, which covered young, single, childless full-time undergraduate students in higher education institutions in England and Wales found that final year students' average anticipated total debt on graduation was £8,666 in 2002/03. This included student loans, overdrafts, credit cards, commercial loans and informal loans. The 2004/05 SIES, published at the end of 2005, will give up to date figures.
	The table shows average student loan debt for UK borrowers, at the point they entered repayment status, by financial year. Note this only covers student loans obtained from the Student Loans Company.
	
		
			 Financial year entered repayment status  Average debt (£)(31) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 3,530 
			 2000–01 3,840 
			 2001–02 4,230 
			 2002–03 5,720 
			 2003–04 7,110 
			 2004–05(32) 7,910 
			 2005–06(32) 8,430 
		
	
	(31) Values rounded to nearest 10. Includes interest accrued up to the point of entering repayment status. Excludes any early voluntary repayments that may have been made by the borrower before entering repayment status.
	(32) Income-contingent loans only
	Source:
	Student Loans Company
	Figures are not available before 1999–2000. Borrowers enter repayment status in the April following graduation or otherwise leaving their course. Data are not available centrally in the form requested.
	The introduction of loans for variable fees of up to £3,000 will increase the amount the average student is able to borrow but not all will take up their full loan entitlement. Those receiving the new maintenance grants and university bursaries can use them if they wish to reduce their overall debt.
	Changes to maintenance loans levels could reduce rather than increase student indebtedness for many poorer students. Although maintenance loans will rise in 2006/07 to reflect the median of essential living costs expenditure recorded in the SIES 2002/03, a bigger change will be the substitution of a significant part of the new £2,700 maintenance grant for maintenance loans for lower income students, reducing the need to borrow.
	We will be monitoring changes in borrowing patterns as the new student support arrangements come in. Whatever a student's circumstances, no student from 2006/07 has to pay fees upfront and the arrangements for repayment of maintenance and fee loans are fair and equitable. The graduate's repayments are at zero real rate of interest, related directly to earnings and only required when earnings are greater than £15,000 per year.
	DfES does not hold information on borrowers in repayment status at an individual student level; therefore we are unable to calculate a median amount of debt.

Truancy

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy level has been in each secondary school in the (a) Reading borough council and (b) Wokingham district council local education authority area in each year since 1990.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is only available from 1994 (truancy rates were not published previously); this information has been placed in the Library. These figures relate to unauthorised absence, this includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

Undergraduates

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of undergraduate students in higher education institutions in England were (a) full-time and (b) part-time in each year between 1995 and 2005; and what the projected figures are for 2006 to 2010.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures and projections for higher education students (studying at higher education institutions or further education colleges in England) are given in the tables.
	
		UK domiciled undergraduate students in England(33)
		
			 Academic year Full-time Part-time Total Percentage full-time 
		
		
			 1995/96(34) 753,220 422,895 1,176,115 64 
			 1996/97(34) 760,910 446,120 1,207,035 63 
			 1997/98(34) 775,470 440,460 1,215,935 64 
			 1998/99(34) 780,780 453,130 1,233,910 63 
			 1999/00(34) 777,160 456,955 1,234,115 63 
			 2000/01(34) 780,125 473,445 1,253,570 62 
			  
			 2000/01(35) 774,895 447,305 1,222,195 63 
			 2001/02(35) 798,415 482,555 1,280,965 62 
			 2002/03(35) 824,670 492,425 1,317,095 63 
			 2003/04(35) 842,535 498,405 1,340,940 63 
		
	
	(33) Covers students studying at higher education institutions and further education Colleges.
	(34) Figures are on a snapshot basis as at the 1 December of the academic year, and are rounded to the nearest five.
	(35) Figures are on a DfES whole year count basis which are not consistent with snapshot figures given for earlier years. The whole year count counts students at the end of the academic year and provides a more accurate representation of student numbers. Whole year count figures are not available for years before 2000/01. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Note:
	Constituent parts may not sum due to founding.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Individual Learner Records (ILR).
	
		Projected UK domiciled undergraduate students in England(36)
		
			 Academic year Full-time Part-time Total Percentage full-time 
		
		
			 2004/05(37) 857,000 494,000 1,351,000 63 
			 2005/06(37) 876,000 500,000 1,375,000 64 
			 2006/07(37) 892,000 504,000 1,396,000 64 
			 2007/08(37) 907,000 510,000 1,417,000 64 
		
	
	(36) Covers students studying at higher education institutions and further education colleges.
	(37) Projected figures given here are on a whole year count basis. Coverage is different than for the actual student numbers given in the preceding table. In particular, students of unknown or Island domiciles or on courses of greater than six years in length are not included in the projections.
	Note:
	Constituent parts may not sum due to rounding.
	The planned number of student places is set during spending reviews in the light of the Government's target of increasing participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged-17 to 30 by the end of the decade, and the projections shown here are based on these plans. Projections may change as new data becomes available. Projections for 2007/08 are subject to revision (and projections for years beyond 2007/08 are not available) as they are dependent on Spending Review 2006 outcomes.

Teacher Victims of Violence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have been victims of offences of violence in the West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Young Carers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government have taken to encourage school nurses to address the needs of young carers.

Maria Eagle: The Government are currently taking action to increase the numbers of school nurses and to develop and promote a modern role that has the support of children, young people and their families, the profession, education and the NHS.
	School nurses have a specific role in supporting children and young people with ongoing or specialist needs and this would include children who are young carers. School nurses have good networks and working relationships with other health and social care professionals. They will also have a good working knowledge of other statutory agencies and local voluntary provision. In addition to seeing children and young people in school and community settings, school nurses are also able to undertake home visits.